Common Sense Media Review
By Stefan Pape
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gory violence in retelling of classic gothic horror story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Doctor Jekyll
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
DOCTOR JEKYLL finds Rob (Scott Chambers), fresh out of prison and looking for a new job. He's offered a position working for Dr. Nina Jekyll (Eddie Izzard), as her new assistant, at her grand, but isolated home. Yet it soon transpires that evil forces are at play, both of the supernatural and human variety.
Is It Any Good?
An adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's iconic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, director Joe Stephenson puts his own spin on this mystery horror. In this version, Doctor Jekyll is a woman called Nina and its setting is modern-day England. Stephenson has further fun flipping gender roles by casting gender-fluid actor Izzard in the titular role. Izzard gives it her all, but it's not enough to save the film from tedium, as it lacks that bit of dark, eerie magic from the original material. While creepy at times, it needlessly falls back on gory violence to elicit fear and terror, rather than something more intelligent and psychological. Devotees of the horror genre may get a buzz seeing the famous Hammer production name in the credits, but this is more a footnote than a classic retelling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether they found Doctor Jekyll scary. Did any particular scenes disturb you? What's the appeal of scary movies? Do some types of media violence have different impact than others?
Were you familiar with Robert Louis Stevenson's original story? How was this version different? What did/didn't you like about this retelling?
What do you think the movie was trying to say about second chances?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 2, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : August 2, 2024
- Cast : Eddie Izzard , Scott Chambers , Lindsay Duncan
- Director : Joe Stephenson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Hammer Film Productions
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Book Characters , Fantasy
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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