Thriller,Horror
United Kingdom
Hands of the Ripper is a British horror film released in 1971, directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Eric Porter, Angharad Rees, and Jane Merrow. The story is set in London during the late 1800s - a time of terror and fear due to the infamous Whitechapel murders committed by the notorious Jack the Ripper.
The movie begins with the brutal murder of a woman in the East End of London, which resembles the Ripper's handiwork. Dr. John Pritchard (played by Eric Porter) attends the scene and is shocked to discover that the woman's young daughter, Anna (Angharad Rees), witnessed the killing. He takes the traumatized girl to his home, where he lives with his son, and attempts to help her recover from the shock.
However, as Anna begins to adjust to her new surroundings, peculiar events start to occur. She starts to see vivid hallucinations of the Ripper committing his gruesome crimes, and her behavior becomes erratic and violent, leading Dr. Pritchard to believe that she may be possessed by her father's spirit.
Using his knowledge of psychoanalysis, Dr. Pritchard starts to delve deeper into Anna's troubled psyche, attempting to uncover the root of her violent behavior. As he gets closer to the truth, he realizes that Anna's father was indeed the infamous Jack the Ripper, and that he had been using his daughter as a conduit to continue his killing spree from beyond the grave.
The film features some great atmospheric scenes of Victorian London, as well as some genuinely suspenseful moments as Dr. Pritchard tries to solve the mystery of Anna's possession. Although it has some gory moments, the film is more of a psychological thriller than a straight-up horror movie, relying on suspense and tension rather than jump scares. It is ultimately a fascinating and disturbing exploration of the legacy of violence and trauma.
