Thanks for reviewing this one. I have not seen it yet. It sounds like an interesting take. Have you read the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? If so, did you have a take on what you thought the novella was saying?
I've seen Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1931 with Fredric March, the 1941 version with Ingrid Bergman and Spencer Tracy, and neither stick to the story of the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Which is a shame, because it's by far the better story, and would make a great film. The novella lets the reader apply whatever symbolism they see in the story, whereas the movies tend to name a philosophical bent not in the novella or seem to not leave room for there to be one.
I think the 1931 is the superior film of the two, mainly because the creative camera work, effects and pace. The Spencer Tracy version is rather odd, and just doesn't work as a cohesive story. The leads and plot are underdeveloped. I'm not sure what they were trying to say, if anything at all.
Having read the novella, I personally think the intention was to highlight the state of mind some humans descend too with alcohol, notably violent and deranged alcoholics, as an initial specific recognizable marker. The portrayal of "serum" is to note the medium or vehicle is not the focus, but rather an exploration of the destination (perhaps evil), the curiosity and the decision to go there.
Many theories come up regarding the intention of the story, including dualities, id, ego, superego, addiction, etc. One of the theories of the novella (published 1886) revolves around the impact of The Origin of Species (1859). Some interpreted the work to mean humans evolved from (modern) apes. That the work was looking at if man was to devolve into a beast, or what was the layer below "the evolution to humankind". When I read that, I began to think that the film Altered States was actually another Jekyll and Hyde adaptation.
