Mary Reilly is a 1996 American gothic horror film directed by Stephen Frears and starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich.

It was written by Christopher Hampton and adapted from the 1990 novel of the same name by Valerie Martin (itself inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde).

It reunited director Frears, screenwriter Hampton, and actors Malkovich and Glenn Close, who were involved in the Oscar-winning Dangerous Liaisons (1988).

Jekyll is fascinated by scars Mary bears on her hand and neck, which she reluctantly allows him to examine, explaining they are from a childhood incident where her abusive father locked her in a cupboard with live rats.

The staff begin to notice the doctor throwing himself into his work at odd hours, culminating in his announcement that he has hired an assistant, Edward Hyde, who is to be given full run of the household.

One night, waking from a nightmare, Mary sees Hyde leaving the house, follows him, and witnesses him paying off—with a cheque signed by Jekyll—the family of a young girl he has savagely beaten.

On an errand to deliver a letter from Jekyll to Mrs. Faraday, a madam, Mary learns that a bloody mess at the whorehouse was caused by Mr. Hyde.

While watering the garden, Mary notices the lights in the laboratory go out and, investigating, discovers a small pool of blood on the theater table.

Eventually the police question Mary about the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, a friend of Jekyll's and a Member of Parliament, and she denies having seen Hyde that day.

[9][8] Reports of alleged production delays and animosity between the actors helped fuel poor word-of-mouth preceding the film's release.

"[8] The film was released on VHS on August 27, 1996, Laserdisc on October 8, 1996, and DVD on September 12, 2000 by Columbia TriStar Home Video.

"[18] Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman commented, "Instead of tapping the theatrical heart of the material, Frears and Hampton reduce the three major characters to drawing-room stiffs who sit around explaining their passion instead of acting on it.

"[19] Janet Maslin of The New York Times observed, "Clearly Ms. Roberts has the makings of a serious actress and the wherewithal to become one, but Mary Reilly offers a vehicle that is unrelievedly grim.

[23] The Stinkers also nominated Roberts for Worst Actress; she "lost" to Whoopi Goldberg in a one-woman three-way-tie for Eddie, Bogus, and Theodore Rex.