A visually stunning film with beautiful aesthetic appeal. The Lighthouse Golem would have become one of my all-time favorite films set in the alluring Victorian era if not for the linear, underwhelming mystery, and not-so-subtle clues to the identity of the Limehouse Golem.
You have an inkling of the killer's persona about a quarter of an hour into the film, and your instincts are correct.
Maybe the film didn't give us enough curveballs, or clever twists to change our thought patterns. Instead, the writers threw everything at us early in the piece, with strong hints of the possible suspects, which left the investigation and enigma of the golem extremely obvious, and therefore a little flat.
The cast in this film was phenomenal and was superb in their roles. Bill Nighy as Inspector John Kildare had such a strong presence on screen, and a strong sense of aura, which heightens the performance of all those around him. I thought that Douglas Booth was just sensational, and he probably stole the show with his portrayal of Dan Leno. Olivia Cooke as Lizzie Cree felt vulnerable and exploited, and played her character to the best of her ability considering what she had to work with.
I had some expectations of the film, and thankfully they were overwhelmingly met in this very well-directed, well-cast, and well-shot movie. The visual locations were simply outstanding. The characters were appealing, the murders were gruesome and the story was gripping. The ending was done much better than the mystery of the golem itself, but otherwise, there were little to no faults with this film, and it will always be part of my collection to go back and watch again when I want to lose myself in another time.
8/10.
