Murder by Decree

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Matthew D As close to a From Hell adaptation as we'll ever get. Sherlock Holmes comes to life in the darkest telling of Jack the Ripper's Whitechapel killings ever captured on film. Murder by Decree (1979) is a chilling recreation of the Jack the Ripper murders alongside an imagined detective mystery solved by Sherlock Holmes. It is dark, cold, foggy, and haunting. The brutal murders range from quick and shocking to the single most ghastly murder I have ever seen in a movie. The detective work is solid, but without much evidence. But, you are engaged by Holmes and Watson on the case all the same! Bob Clark directed Murder by Decree with an eye for the ghostly London setting, fog induced atmosphere, shadowy silhouettes, women screaming, and long panning sequences for scary enactments. The story is told quite quickly, but to great effect. You are entertained by every joke and held in suspense for every dire situation. The highlight of Murder by Decree is certainly the outstanding cast. Christopher Plummer is a confident and kind Sherlock Holmes. By the end, you will be stunned by Plummer's empathetic powerhouse performance. On the other hand, James Mason is a very funny and likable Dr. Watson. His fussy nature and casual statements of the obvious are as classic as Watson on screen gets. Donald Sutherland is present for another strange mystic character in his legendary 1970's run of roles. Even John Gielgud makes a late appearance as the Prime Minister to great presence and stature. Lastly, I must mention Geneviève Bujold as Annie Crook. She plays insanity and heartbreak so classy and sad that you sense her sorrow. It is a rough scene and Plummer is likewise phenomenal in it. If you want a detailed account of police work that could have occurred during the investigations into Jack the Ripper's killings, then watch Murder by Decree with the utmost haste! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/10/25 Full Review Carlos I Sherlock Holmes hunting Jack the Ripper? With an amazing cast like this?! With Bob Clark directing?!!! One paper this should be a favorite of mine... It's just such a bummer I found it soo boring. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/17/24 Full Review Jack S Although well made and gloomily atmospheric, Murder By Decree is marred somewhat by a weak climatic action scene followed by a rather drawn-out reveal during the finale. By that time, the mystery, initially intriguing, has lost some of its punch. A strong cast and a little humor helps throughout, but Plummer is but an adequate Holmes who's consistently upstaged by the wonderful Mason who (as a most intelligent and useful Watson), steals most of their scenes together. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/02/23 Full Review ed m Just OK. Great cast. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/19/23 Full Review Kate It really was well acted with Plummer and Mason playing the roles with humour and intelligence. Donal Sutherland was his usual border line sociopath trapped in a script. A touch of empathy and sympathy toward the murder victims was rather new too. Their lives are often viewed as expendable because they are morally unfashionable. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/14/23 Full Review steve d I found it surprisingly ineffective given the cast and characters. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Murder by Decree

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