From the mid-1950s until the late-1970s, the very mention of Hammer had the power to chill the blood and send shivers down the spine of even the most hardened horror fanatic. Over the course of several decades, the legendary British film studio bought terror to the big screen through their evocative series of sensational horror films – drenched in crimson red and proudly sporting the BBFC’s X rating like a badge of honour, these films proved immensely popular at the time of release and have subsequently maintained their allure over the subsequent years, standing tall and proud as bastions of British horror cinema.

Now under new management (the new boss in question being the aptly named theatrical mogul John Gore), Hammer as a company is having another crack at a resurgence, following a rather muted return almost a decade ago with popular films like Let Me In (2008) and The Woman in Black (2011). And why not? After all, if Christopher Lee‘s legendary Dracula can respawn 6 or 7 times, why not the company that bought him to life? Thus the end result is Doctor Jekyll, a new and wholly modern take on Robert Louis Stevenson‘s beloved novella, which comes with both Eddie Izzard in the title role and an enormous weight of expectation placed upon it.

That Doctor Jekyll fails to meet all of these expectations is not entirely surprising – after all, with a legacy of over 60+ films behind it and a need to push out into new, unexplored territory, this experiment was always going to be more of a Frankenstein’s Monster on the first try. Its tale of an ex-junkie getting a job for a disturbed recluse who exhibits a terrifying alter-ego has moments of spark but the amalgamation of two very different styles is more of a hindrance then an advantage.

The excess and campiness of Hammer’s later productions is present, but the film ultimately lacks the class and elegance of the studio’s greatest achievements. Whereas those films dripped with atmosphere and dread, Doctor Jekyll feels too akin to modern horror trappings, relying far too heavily on fake-out jump scares in lieu of genuinely inventive thrills. The script doesn’t help either, spinning its wheels with awkward dialogue and a snail’s pace, before delivering a twist that feels rather left of field and lacking in detail. It’s fine for the most part when it leans into the Hammer tropes, but trying to combine these with more modern ones does it little favours. Like its titular antagonist, the film has a terrible case of double identity!

There’s a lot on display here that highlights the film’s strengths though, not least the excellent central performance from Eddie Izzard, who underplays the part of Jekyll remarkably well for much of the running time, before revelling in the more out-there aspects of the character come the final act. Joe Stephenson‘s direction, whilst oft-times showy, manages to conjure up a few visual tricks that work in the film’s favour whilst the excellent cinematography evokes the colourful but menacing Hammer palette well, especially in the exterior scenes, where golden mist covers the sparse land that surrounds Jekyll’s mansion. The musical score is excellent too, though sadly some cues prove too intrusive in scenes where silence would have achieved a greater dramatic effect.

Doctor Jekyll is unfortunately a far cry from the big resurrection Hammer clearly desired but there is some promise in their approach, especially when the film shirks the more obvious modern tropes and pursues atmosphere and mystery instead of cheap thrills. The monster of Hammer may have been stopped this time, but like all good monsters, it will no doubt rise again. We can but hope it will be sooner rather then later.

Doctor Jekyll is released into UK cinemas from 27th October