Jack the Ripper 4K 1959

Another take on the atrocities that took place in London’s Whitechapel district in 1888. As in "The Lodger" (1944), this film adheres to the theory that the killer was a doctor.
But while in John Brama’s film the antagonist is known from the very first frames, in “Jack the Ripper” we are presented with several suspects at once, and the real killer is the least obvious of them all.

They won’t show any gory details here, and there’s no need to: the atmosphere is conveyed all too well. I was immediately reminded of my first visit to Madame Tussauds in London and the section of the exhibit dedicated to the Ripper: a corner of a house, creeping fog, a figure crouched on the ground. Modest, concise—and truly terrifying.

Everyone acts well, though Lee Patterson—the American helping with the investigation—is a bit annoying. However, the most interesting characters aren’t the main ones, but the extras—a colorful rabble inhabiting London’s underbelly. It is unlikely that the filmmakers intended this effect, but against the backdrop of these outcasts, Jack the Ripper comes across as a noble “cleaner of the forest.”