The Ruby in the Smoke (2006)

The Ruby in the Smoke is the kind of Victorian mystery that grabs you by the collar and pulls you through gaslit streets, shadowy docks, and secrets that feel genuinely dangerous. Billie Piper makes Sally Lockhart a bracingly smart, stubborn heroine—equal parts vulnerable and steel-spined—while Julie Walters brings a deliciously unsettling presence that keeps the tension humming. The film’s pleasures are in its brisk momentum and rich atmosphere: opium haze, whispered conspiracies, and a puzzle that keeps tightening without turning into a lecture. It isn’t for the squeamish, given its bouts of violence and the stark depiction of opium use, but if you want a punchy, character-driven crime tale with classic serial-adventure vibes, it’s an easy recommendation.

The Ruby in the Smoke wants to be a brisk, gothic Victorian whodunit with a plucky young heroine, murky conspiracies, and a whiff of opium-soaked menace, and on that level it mostly delivers. The catch is that it plays like a TV adaptation with limited breathing room: the mystery can feel crowded, the tone swings from cozy adventure to sudden brutality, and some characters come off more “useful to the plot” than truly layered. Billie Piper gives Sally real backbone and there’s a satisfying old-fashioned intrigue to the setup, but if you need tight pacing, subtle twists, or consistent realism, you may find it a bit clunky. Also worth noting: it doesn’t flinch from violence and includes a graphic opium-smoking scene, so it’s not the light Sunday-night mystery it sometimes pretends to be.