The rare appearances in new films by Johnny Depp, who eventually became a global superstar with the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ series, make it worthwhile for fans to take a look at his filmography every now and then. This is a great way to catch up on what you missed earlier or to refresh your memory on something you may have already forgotten. I did that recently and came across the historical horror-crime thriller ‘From Hell’, which I hadn’t seen since its release in 2002. I would recommend the FSK 16 title for your next streaming session.
“From Hell” is included in the Disney+ flat rate program, but for a few euros you can also use it as video-on-demand via, for example Amazon Prime Video*, AppleTV or GooglePlay can be enjoyed.
In addition to Johnny Depp, Heather Graham is especially worth mentioning from the cast list, who, besides “Boogie Nights”, probably gives her best performance as a potential Ripper victim. Also in front of the camera were Ian Holm (“Alien”), Robbie Coltrane from the “Harry Potter” series, Jason Flemyng (“Snatch”) and Ralph Ineson (“Catch The Killer”).
This is the story of “From Hell” on Disney+
1888: A prostitute is found brutally murdered in London’s East End. Sergeant Godley (Coltrane) then puts his witness on the case: Inspector Abberline (Depp). The officer regularly puts himself in a kind of trance by consuming absinthe and opium and receives clues about the perpetrator(s) through visions.
Contrary to the instructions of his superiors, Abberline sets out to find the perpetrator, who must clearly be an educated man, among the city’s wealthy upper class. As more bodies are found, the investigator gets closer to the identity of the killer. Then it becomes clear to Abberline that this must be covered from the highest level…
“From Hell” is based on a comic strip
The infamous serial killer Jack The Ripper committed his murders over 100 years ago. Nevertheless, his bloody deeds continue to fascinate us to this day – probably because in reality it was never definitively clear who was really behind the pseudonym. Numerous books have been written about the man over time (or was it a woman, as various experts assume?). And there are plenty of movies too. “From Hell” is certainly one of the most interesting of them.
The work of the American twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes (“Menace II Society”) is not perfect. It swings a little too much at times. The story is very exciting, but could have been even more effective with a little tightening. However, there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the representations. And the visual implementation – starting with the brilliant equipment and camerawork of Peter Deming (“Mulholland Drive”) – is also great. The dark side of Victorian London comes across as completely authentic. By the way, Inspector Abberline, played by Johnny Depp, really existed. He was previously played by Michael Caine in the award-winning miniseries The Monster of London.
“From Hell” is loosely based on the multi-part graphic novel of the same title by Alan Moore, creator of “Watchmen” and “V for Vendetta.” This was published between 1989 and 1998 and is highly recommended. The author and his illustrator Eddie Campbell based their plot on a theory studied by Abberline at the time and still widely used. The comic is available in an excellently presented and lovingly revised complete edition (almost 600 pages!) in English:
‘From Hell’ may not be the best of all films with Johnny Depp, but in my opinion it is only surpassed in terms of atmosphere by ‘Dead Man’. The star clearly enjoys navigating this dark, violent and opium-rich world and delivers a top performance.
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