There have been over 100 screen adaptations of the Jekyll\Hyde story. Most have deviated from the original story in some way. A few at least attempted to stay as true to the story as possible. Today we look at one adaption that succeeds in being true to the source material but fails as a compelling film.
“I, Monster” 1971 is an almost forgotten adaptation of the Jekyll\Hyde story. Despite an excellent cast and a faithful script it fails to generate any real terror, suspense, or engagement. Amicus Productions is best remembered for it’s exceptional catalog of anthology or portmanteau films. Those films represent some of the finest examples of exciting short form horror and suspense films made in the 60’s and early 70’s. Amicus’ conventional cinematic efforts all shared one common denominator: they were dull. This film is no exception. The cinematography never rises above bare bones. The acting is good, if a bit too understated. When first released it didn’t do very well in the UK and did even worse in the US. It never got a US VHS release and has only recently been released on DVD and Blu Ray. There doesn’t seem to be a viable streaming option.
