Classic Horrors Club

Before it was announced that the latest incarnation of Hammer Films was going to release Doctor Jekyll, I was intrigued by the fact that it starred Eddie Izzard, who was apparently going to play the titular character as a woman. What exactly did that mean? Was there going to be a reversal of gender, an atypical female doctor rather than the typical male?

After it was announced that Hammer was going to release it, I then wondered if it would be a modern day version of one of my Hammer favorites, Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971.) Was Izzard going to portray the typical male doctor and transform into an atypical female, or vice versa?

In the United Kingdom, the film was shown in August of 2023 at FrightFest and opened in theaters two months later, just in time for Halloween. I read very little about it… a good thing here, a bad thing there. Still, I didn’t know what angle it was going to take and eagerly awaited an opportunity to see it for myself.

Fearing in this case that no news meant bad news, I watched the movie with low expectations. Not only were those expectations exceeded, the experience went beyond mere relief that it wasn’t a stinker into an experience that held me enthralled during its absolutely perfect 89-minute running time.

Spoilers Ahead!

First, to settle my curiosity, and perhaps yours, Izzard’s Nina Jekyll is all woman. There’s no added twist about her being transgender. There’s no shocking twist in which we see her tear off a wig to reveal that she’s a he. We see flashbacks of her as a little girl and learn that she is the original Dr. Jekyll’s granddaughter. 

In a quick news report that opens the film, we hear vague references to “big Pharma” and “Nina Jekyll.” The details aren’t important. It’s only important that we know Jekyll is rich and famous and has become a recluse in her giant country home. This is the basic concept that brings a familiar story into current day to make it relevant.

It makes sense that a family tree with deep roots in experimentation with drugs will eventually go mainstream. The fact that we never learn the exact nature of the research is irrelevant. The fact that Jekyll is in poor physical health because of her research and may be an addict is relevant… on the surface.

Against her right-hand woman Sandra’s (Lindsay Duncan) advice, Jekyll hires a young man recently released from incarceration for theft. Rob (Scott Chambers) is an odd fit, for sure. He’s rough around the edges and seems barely able to communicate on the same level as well-spoken and educated scientists. Of course, he turns out to be smarter than he appears.

Is he too smart, though, for Jekyll’s plans to manipulate him into a complex plot that may be coming from her, or perhaps instead from her evil alter ego, Rachel Hyde? It ultimately doesn’t matter because Rob has a sick young daughter whose life may depend on the resources that Jekyll can provide if he does what she asks.

Rob also gets pressure from outside the giant country home when his daughter’s mother, Maeve (Robin Cara), learns about his gig and blackmails him into performing one last robbery that could also help his daughter. He’s stuck between a rock and a hard spot about whom to trust and which action, if either, is the right one to take.

The production is top-notch, from the cinematography and art direction to the writing and directing. The score by Blair Mowat is terrific! (As I write this, I’m listening to it on Spotify.) Izzard is mysterious and unpredictable. Chambers is eclectic, with a mischievous smile both charming and smug, motivated by a pairing of discomfort and disbelief.

In a sense, Doctor Jekyll is a slow burn. When the horror erupts, it’s not necessarily gory, but is absolutely disturbing. The specific nature of Jekyll’s evil side has evolved and I don’t recall seeing “transformations” like these before. We must put a few plot pieces together on our own, but it’s not a difficult puzzle.

I’ve read justifications about any shortcomings by saying that Hammer did not produce Doctor Jekyll, they only released it. Therefore, it doesn’t represent future intentions of the resurrected company. After watching it, I’m completely fine with this being the future of Hammer, familiar style, but exciting delivery.