Drama

Horror

Thriller

Mary Reilly

NFH Films

TriStar Pictures

United States of America

United Kingdom

English

Julia Roberts

John Malkovich

George Cole

Michael Gambon

Glenn Close

Kathy Staff

Michael Sheen

Bronagh Gallagher

Linda Bassett

Ciarán Hinds

Henry Goodman

Wendy Nottingham

Moya Brady

Emma Griffiths Malin

Sasha Hanau

Isabella Marshall

Richard Leaf

Stephen Boxer

Tim Barlow

Harry Fielder

Christopher Hampton

Philippe Rousselot

Lesley Walker

Stephen Frears

Nancy Graham Tanen

Valerie Martin

Ned Tanen

George Fenton

Stuart Craig

Norma Heyman

Leo Davis

Lynn Pleshette

Juliet Taylor

Iain Smith

Jim Morahan

Peter Owen

Tim Cavagin

Jenny Shircore

Ivana Primorac

Michael Lamont

Consolata Boyle

Richard Dean

Dean Humphreys

Stephenie McMillan

Peter Holt

Mark Milsome

Adam Somner

John Higgins

Did we really need a secondhand retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale as seen through the eyes of the eponymous, non-canonical housemaid? This is such a well-known story that adding a fresh perspective may have seemed like a good idea at the time; on the other hand, what possible insight could Mary (Julia Roberts) offer when she’s either blind as a bat or dumb as a rock?

She’s not alone, though; everyone in this movie who isn’t Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde suffers from Lois Lane Syndrome. The closest anyone ever comes to pointing out the uncanny resemblance between the "master" and his "assistant" is remarking that "they do look a bit alike." More like a yottabit.

John Malkovich could have been as good an Edward Hyde as we was a Vicomte Valmont, and that’s precisely what made him wrong for the Henry Jekyll part. Casting him in both roles not only completely misses the original novel’s Apollonian/Dionysian dichotomy theme, but also makes the rest of the characters, especially the heroine, like complete morons. And since everyone in the audience knows, if they know nothing else, that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same, what the hell was the point anyway?

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