Jekyll (2008)

TV series, horror, miniseries

Hartswood Films for the BBC

Produced by Beryl Verue, Steve Moffatt

Directed by Douglas McKinnon and Matt Lipsey

Available for all regions

Reviewed: Bob Estreich

Jekyll is one of those films that the BBC does so well. It is a sequel into modern times of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde classic. Dr Tom Jackman, happily married with twin boys, has realised that he is developing what he thinks is a split personality disorder. For the family’s safety, Tom has moved out. As his other personality becomes stronger, he has had to reach some sort of accommodation, rostering times with his alter ego. The Hyde persona has a cruel streak, since his mental development is about that of a child. His unconscious savage cruelties make him a risk to Tom. His attempts to take over their joint body full-time are making it harder for Tom to handle the pressure. Under pressure, his changes to the Hyde personality are becoming more frequent.

In the background, a mysterious organization seems to be well aware of Tom’s condition and has plans for him. They have been tracking the Jekyll and Hyde effect for a hundred years. Hyde’s amazing stamina, speed and superhuman strength are what attracts them, and his ability to rapidly heal himself holds medical promise.

Tom now has another problem. Hyde has found out about Tom’s family and appears to be trying to replace Tom there, too. He has spent an afternoon playing with the boys and enjoyed it, and is starting to regard the family as his, too. He is, after all, little more than a boy himself.

To force the change to Hyde, the organization arranges to put one of Tom’s boys in a lion enclosure at a zoo. Hyde emerges and saves the boy. He is showing a little responsibility finally – or is he just protecting “his” family? He is takes out his severe displeasure on the lion and on the organization’s staff. A side effect is that both Tom and Hyde now can exist simultaneously, although their minds are still separate from each other, and Tom’s efforts to control Hyde are becoming almost impossible. And the surviving members of the organization have learned to be mortally afraid of Hyde. Nevertheless they must take him somehow, and their aim is to try to make the change permanent. They set out to do this by working on Tom’s weak point - his wife and family. The final confrontation will be bloody and complex. When you have a one-man psychopath army who may or may not be on your side ……and there are more twists at the end that none of them knew about.

Steve Moffat’s update to the story is brilliantly conceived. It carries on from the original story quite well, and then develops into something more akin to science fiction. It is full of dark humour, suspense and true horror. He allows plenty of room for the characters to develop, and this is particularly important in the case of Hyde. James Nesbitt plays the two roles wonderfully – the stressed out Dr Jackman in love with his family but removed from them for their safety, and the immature, demented but dangerous Hyde. Nesbitt does this mostly with personality and changes, with only minor help from makeup. We can empathise with Tom, confused about what’s happening but determined to keep his family safe at whatever cost to himself. We can even start empathise to some extent with Nesbitt’s portrayal of Jekyll, a boy in a man’s body. This becomes easier as the two personalities start to cooperate to rescue Tom’s wife and family.

The other leading characters are played just as well. Tom’s wife Claire, confused about her husband’s apparent rejection of her, is strongly played by Gina Bellman. When she learns what is going on and needs to defend her children, her change of personality is remarkable and even Hyde must be careful. The other supporting characters are just as well picked.

The extras include commentary, particularly on Episode 6, from the actors and producers. These give a good idea of the complexity of the plot and the abilities of the actors.

I can’t praise this show enough. At 340 minutes it is a short (6-part) series, but packed with action and some very though-provoking themes. There is enough to keep you guessing from one episode to the next. This show really represents all that I enjoy in British films – complex but believable plot, outstanding acting, and a level of technical competence that gets the most out of the actors’ performances. Perhaps the best part is that this is labeled Series 1 – could there be more on the way?

This review will appear in Volume 2 No.3 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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