The infamous man who got away has been called by many names, The Whitechapel Murderer, the Leather Apron, but most know him by his seminal nickname, Jack the Ripper. One of the most studied and fascinating criminals in history, Jack the Ripper terrorized the Whitechapel district of London throughout 1888, and with his fame came stories, and with those stories, came tales known throughout the world. Of course, just like any famous tale, audiences wanted to see the legendary killers story told on the big screen, and over the last hundred years, Jack the Ripper movies have become a staple in popular culture and a legend on the silver screen.
From more modern-day interpretations in films like From Hell and Jack's Back to some of the first films to ever feature The Whitechapel Murderer in The Lodger and Man in the Attic, the story of The Ripper has been replicated, adapted, twisted, and fabricated into some of the most beloved works of fiction. While no film could ever be as chilling as the real events that transpired in 1888, many tried and succeeded in giving audiences the pulse-pounding scares of their lives.
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One of the most mesmerizing, fascinating, and vile depictions of Jack the Ripper the world has ever seen, The Lodger is a paranoid slow burn that will have audiences everywhere questioning everything they believed by the time the credits roll. With a phenomenal performance from Laird Cregar as a man suspected to be the infamous Jack the Ripper, this sympathetic portrayal of evil is brought to life masterfully by John Brahm. A gothic thriller with stellar camera work, wonderful storytelling, and a grim and masochistic undertone, The Lodger is the film for those interested in a realistic portrayal of The Whitechapel Murderer, but be warned once looked into the eyes of madness, there is no going back.
A classic Sherlock Holmes tale, legendary screen actor Christopher Plummer stars as the world's greatest detective as he is on the hunt for notorious killer Jack the Ripper in the masterful Murder by Decree. Featuring a plethora of phenomenal stellar talents such as James Mason, Donald Sutherland, and Susan Clark, this star-studded affair is one of the most prestigious and regaled tellings of The Whitechapel Murderer the world has ever seen, as director Bob Clark delivers yet another classic film in his long line of masterpieces. A much darker and more sinister tale than most Holmes fans are accustomed to, this stellar drama will have fans of all ages hanging on the edge of their seat until the credits role.
Arguably the greatest and most mainstream depiction of both victoria-era London and the serial masochist Jack the Ripper, From Hell is an incredibly slow-burn investigative drama starring Johnny Depp as Inspector Abberline, a detective on the hunt for the Ripper. Loosely based on a graphic novel of the same name, From Hell wonderfully mixes its source material with real-life events to showcase a man on a terrible and dangerous downward spiral as he thrives to save all those he possibly can. Depp gives a fascinating performance and this wonderful installment in the Criterion Collection continues to shine as a premier adaptation of the infamous Jack the Ripper.
Based on the same short story Alfred Hitchcock used for the legendary Jack the Ripper adaptation The Lodger, Man in the Attic takes a deep, dark, and sadistic look at a man who may or may not be Jack the Ripper. Starring the legendary Jack Palance, this horrifying serial killer film forces audiences firmly into the mind of a psychopath hellbent on nothing but pure torture and annihilation. A spine-chilling adaptation of horrifying events, Man in the Attic uses the audience as a tool in its storytelling as they hope above all else that our lead is innocent, but when the dark and unsettling truth arises, all hell breaks loose in London.
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Photo: The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog / Woolf & Freedman Film Service
The third-ever feature-length film from generational directing talent Alfred Hitchcock, The Lodger:: A Story of the London Fog is a silent film era spine-chilling and heart-pounding look at the curiosity of man, and the monster inside us all. While the film may have been adapted or remade countless times, there is little else quite like the original. The master of suspense puts all his chips in the middle of the table while creating The Lodger, and he more than lives up to his reputation. A chilling and uneasy mood permeates throughout the film like a thick fog, and the constant twists and turns will leave audiences heads spinning until they are left with nothing but the harsh and terrifying reality of The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog.
Often acclaimed and even more often viewed for his controversies, Spanish director, writer, and cinematographer Jesús Franco's adaptation of the terrifying Jack the Ripper story aptly titled Jack the Ripper is widely viewed as the daring and bold filmmaker's best film, and for good reason. This stylish, lavish, and gorgeous film is pulse-pounding from the first scene to the last, and the inclusion of Klaus Kinski as the titular character holds a tremendous amount of weight for any and all who know the former actor's life story. A film ripe with layers on layers, Franco's magnum opus is a grim, dark, and disheartening look at the evils man will commit to get the things they want in life.
