It translates novelist Peter Ackroyd's densely historical and cerebral foray into the horror genre into an entertainment, without being weighed down by Ackroyd's numerous fascinating but imaginative layers and tangents.

The moviemakers have more on their minds than mounting a Ripper-like Sherlockian detective case with an unusual blend of grit and lushness.

... this nasty little Victorian London horror film has more than a few blood-soaked charms of its own.

The film’s overstuffed plot does not quite leave enough space for other film elements to “breathe”, but...viewing will be rewarded...given the film’s deliciously macabre atmosphere...and the unexpected twist-finale.