“This poor woman wasn’t murdered, she was plundered.” The two-part Euston Films drama finds Michael Caine playing Insp. Abberline of Scotland Yard as he investigates the ritualistic killings of several women on the streets of Victorian East London. This policeman has a fondness for alcohol, but thankfully Sgt. Godley (Lewis Collins) is there to keep him in line while they navigate the political pressures from their superiors and a sensationalist press eager to stir up animosity toward both the police force and what’s casually referred to as the English state. He also receives assistance from his former girlfriend “Emma” (Jane Seymour), an artist working for a newspaper reporter "Bates" (Jonathan Moore), who happens to know Mansfield (Armand Assante), a suspect, and eccentric psychic medium Lees (Ken Bones). It turns out that this latter gentleman is an advisor to the Queen herself, which means Abberline and Godley must also consult with her personal physician Sir William Gull (Ray McAnally), who holds some rather progressive ideas about madness, schizophrenia, and mental illness. The information becomes overwhelming for Abberline and Godley – and as bodies pile up and the pressure increases, it’s a race against time to avoid being dismissed! It shares similarities in plot with “Murder by Decree” (1979) - except without Sherlock Holmes handling the detective work; this production is visually impressive. Caine is excellent, displaying a curmudgeonly and playful side, and he has good chemistry with Collins as their pursuit of truth leads them into the darker aspects of a city shrouded in smog where the sound of horses’ hooves on cobblestones instilled fear in women working at night. Bones gives an over-the-top performance as the mystic, Moore is appropriately unpleasant as the unscrupulous fake news purveyor, and both McAnally and Michael Gothard, playing the revolutionary “Lusk,” deliver solid performances alongside a strong supporting cast. There’s not much to highlight regarding Seymour or Assante, who are somewhat restrained in their roles; however, the sharp writing and combination of high-level maneuvering with street-level dealings and prostitutes contributes to a fairly absorbing mystery for viewers to unravel.

Source on TMDB