Ripper - Lettera dall'inferno

Girl-running-in-a-thunderstorm-with-killer-close-behind-girl-trips killer-gets-her kind of story. Lots of blood, no originality. One would expect more from a movie which promises serial psycho killers copying Jack the Ripper. No real motivation for the blood bath, least of all a psychological one. Except for the ending which at least creates a little bit of confusion, one could predict every scene at least 10 minutes before it unfolds. Everything in this movie has been done, redone and overdone. It's like watching Scary Movie and taking it seriously. It's been a real disappointment. Where are the calculated blood thirsty psycho killers? What happened to movies like Seven or Silence of the Lambs, with original plots and motifs? Because personally I'm tired of watching helpless blonds being butchered like cattle while instead of defending themselves they scream in agony and then always manage to trip and fall.

This is another one let down by some horrible acting from certain cast members and some clunky script work.

Story wise I really enjoyed it. It's the sort of film that in the right hands would of been great but it got someone elses hands so it was more just ok.

This film was better than expected and enough of the characters were developed to the point that it was very difficult to guess just who might be the killer. You would make up your mind and then change it over and over again. The violence was not as graphic as it might have been and they spent more time on the characters which is a change. Strong acting from many of the young actors was an unexpected surprise. A cut above the typical teen movie.

Ripper" (2001) is a B-grade slasher that, despite its flaws, manages to stay engaging thanks to a well-crafted atmosphere and a couple of strong performances. Bruce Payne stands out as the mysterious professor, bringing a compelling presence to every scene he's in. The dark, rainy, and gothic city setting adds an eerie tone that works well. A. J. Cook also delivers a solid lead performance. However, the rest of the cast falls short, and the kills are far too tame and lacking in gore, especially when compared to its slasher contemporaries. The visual direction is uneven, with jarring cuts and underwhelming staging. With a grittier approach and better direction, the film could have had a stronger impact. Still, it's an entertaining thriller that keeps the mystery alive and is worth a watch for late-90s horror fans.

I paid £1.49 for this and I'd say I got my moneys worth. As you'd expect it's very derivative of most films of this genre and treads a fine line between credibility and hokum.

However it's not cringe-inducing bad and I'd probably rate it a lot higher if it weren't for the lack of a clearcut resolution at the end. Even the Director's Commentary failed to shed any light on the definitive solution, basically saying it's up to the audience to decide for themselves - acceptable in a more highbrow production but a bit annoying for a film of this level.

Still I've seen a lot worse and it's worth the small change from anyone's pocket!