A Is for Acid
Dramatisation of the true story of the notorious 'acid bath murderer' John Haigh, who murdered women and disposed of their bodies in vats of acid in the 1940s. He was only caught when the gallstones of one of his victims failed to dissolve in the acid and were detected by the pathologist who examined the residue from the acid bath.
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- Cast：
- Martin Clunes , Keeley Hawes , Richard Hope , Celia Imrie , Rowena Cooper , John Flanagan , Terence Beesley
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Reviews
So much average
hyped garbage
Best movie of this year hands down!
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
This is a TV dramatization of the life of Acid Bath Murderer, John George Haigh. Starring Martin Clunes and Keeley Hawkes in headline roles. I came across the film on terrestrial free-view and really enjoyed it. Far from his "Men Behaving Badly" days Martin Clunes plays a role with vast emotional ranges in a beautifully recreated 1940's. Occasionally out right charming he is able to turn on a creepy and sadistic persona with ease. I don't normal like his acting but he seemed ideal for this role. Despite the films grizzly content matter it comes of as beautifully created piece of work, authentic to it's era with attention to detail. There is a maybe a heavier touch of violence compared to other TV dramatizations, but that goes with the territory when you base a film on one of the UK's biggest serial killers. Definitely worth a watch.
I thought Martin Clunes was excellent as Haigh as was the rest of the cast and the locations look the part, too. I had heard of Haigh before, but I didn't realize how weird he was. His insanity plea was a good try what with thee vampires ectetera but it was all for money, wasn't it? I wonder how his parents coped bearing in mind their strict religious views. I doubt that the Plymouth Bretheren upbringing can really be blamed or they'd be banned, wouldn't they? His girlfriend and wife were lucky to live! I lived in Sussex for 25 years and am glad it was two decades after his demise. I expect that these days he'd have got a sentence of 6 months for theft and a course of psychotherapy on the NHS! brrrrr! really good creepy drama.
My only problem with this movie is Martin Clunes. He acts it well, but is so often shown on TV as an extremely affable and likable character that it's almost impossible to believe him as a serial killer. Be it in fiction ("Men Behaving Badly") or documentary (about both dogs and horses) he always comes over as a jolly nice chap (which I'm sure he is). Casting him as a cold-blooded serial killer just doesn't work – it worked when Leone cast the blue-eyed angel Henry Fonda as a psychopath in "Once upon a Time in America", but casting Clunes as a serial killer is a step too far.Having said that this is nonetheless a gem of a movie. Set design is pure '40s and the use of 1940s music is extremely well done. Hence my 8/10 rating.
Based on the true story of the Acid Bath Murderer, John George Haigh, this TV drama stars Martin Clunes as the odd-looking, charming serial killer.Normally I don't go in for TV dramas, but since this I have a passing interest in serial killers, I watched it -- I found it well scripted and well acted, with Clunes doing a good job -- at times he did bear a resemblance to the real Haigh (from old photographs I've see), and he brought a certain charm to his character, making his deceits all the more realistic, whilst his narrative voice contrasted this with a certain lack of emotion or inflection. Also, nicely paced.