Jack's Back is a 1988 thriller film directed and written by Rowdy Herrington. The movie opens with the discovery of the dead body of a prostitute in Los Angeles in 1888. The killing bears a striking resemblance to the work of the notorious Jack the Ripper. The story then jumps to modern-day Los Angeles where another series of killings are taking place, also bearing an eerie resemblance to the infamous Jack the Ripper murders.
John Wesford (played by James Spader) is a young doctor who works in a free medical clinic in a poor neighborhood of Los Angeles. He becomes a suspect in the Ripper-style murders, due to his interest in the Ripper case. One of the victims, Terry, was someone he cared for deeply and had tried to help.
The police detective in charge of the investigation, Frank DeSalvo (played by Rex Ryon), is convinced that John is the killer. John struggles to clear his name and to find out who the real killer is. However, things take a tragic turn when John is murdered himself, leaving his twin brother Rick (also played by James Spader) to pick up the pieces.
Rick starts to have vivid and terrifying visions of the true killer, leading him to believe that John was innocent and that the real murderer is still at large. With the help of a nurse from the clinic, Chris (played by Cynthia Gibb), Rick begins his own investigation into the Ripper-style killings that are still taking place. As he gets closer to the truth, Rick discovers that the killer is someone very close to him.
Jack's Back is a well-crafted and suspenseful thriller that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. James Spader delivers an excellent performance in a dual role, and the film is visually arresting, capturing the gritty and seedy atmosphere of modern-day Los Angeles. It's a must-see for fans of both the Jack the Ripper legend and the thriller genre.