There is a serial killer in Los Angeles who is duplicating the murders committed by London’s famous murderer, Jack the Ripper. Based on the original crimes, the killer is expected to make his 5th and final killing that night. All of the victims are prostitutes. Sergeant Gabriel (Jim Haynie) brings in Dr. Carlos Battera (Robert Picardo) to consult on the case but with no time left, there isn’t much he can do.
John Wesford (James Spader) is a young medical student that helps out at a homeless encampment as well as a free clinic. John has problems with the doctor who runs the clinic, Dr. Sidney Tannerson (Rod Loomis). John is late for clinic duty and his colleague, Chris Moscari (Cynthia Gibb) warns him that Tannerson is in a bad mood. Tannerson threatens to fire him if he is late for work again.
That night John decides to visit a pregnant patient, Denise Johnson (Danitza Kingsley), that Tannerson verbally abused earlier in the day. When he gets to her place he sees another colleague, Jack Pendler (Rex Ryon), enter her house. Inside the apartment John finds Denise slaughtered. Also in the apartment is Jack. Jack flees. John tries to follow him but ends up losing him. He goes back to the clinic to call the police. While he is on the phone Jack arrives. He tries to tell John that he only gave Denise an abortion and while out getting a prescription filled, someone else came in and killed her. John doesn’t believe him. In a panic Jack kills John and stages it as a suicide. The police are more than willing to believe that John is Jack the Ripper and that he killed himself rather than get caught.
At the same time, Jack’s identical twin brother Rick (James Spader) wakes up from a nightmare. In the dream he sees his brother being killed. Rick tries to convince the police that John was murdered. The police now begin to look at Rick thinking that perhaps he is the ripper and killed his brother to frame him. Rick starts his own investigation, looking for the Ripper.
“Jack’s Back” was released in 1988 and was written and directed by Rowdy Herrington. It is an American crime thriller.
The film didn’t do well at the box office, nor with some of the critics, but I liked it. The story was interesting and offered a couple red herrings that were weaved into the story convincingly. The modern date tale picks up after most of the murders are committed. The plot isn’t so much about the killer as it is about Spader and the connection between the twins.
Spader has a duo role and shines as both the mild-mannered sympathetic doctor and the moodier twin with a slight attitude who is a bit of a loner. He does it so well you could almost convince yourself that there are two different people in the roles. There are also some slight horror undertones in the twin psychic connection angle. The movie is quite gripping and stands out among the myriad of Jack the Ripper clones.