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

Philippe Rousselot

Stephen Frears

Christopher Hampton

Lesley Walker

Valerie Martin

Norma Heyman

Leo Davis

Nancy Graham Tanen

Ned Tanen

Iain Smith

Juliet Taylor

George Fenton

Lynn Pleshette

Stuart Craig

Jim Morahan

Michael Lamont

Stephenie McMillan

Peter Owen

Dean Humphreys

Consolata Boyle

Richard Dean

Tim Cavagin

Ivana Primorac

Jenny Shircore

Peter Holt

Mark Milsome

Adam Somner

Drama

Horror

Thriller

Mary Reilly

NFH Films

TriStar Pictures

United States of America

United Kingdom

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?