Review: The Woman In Black

Hailed as a return to the gothic, atmospheric period pieces that earned HAMMER studios a place in horror fans’ hearts, The Woman In Black spins a fun, creepy ghost story. As time honored a British tradition as ignoring dental hygiene, the period piece haunted house film makes for a perfect place for the once revered studio to make a comeback. Based on Susan Hill’s novella of the same name, writer Jane Goldman (X-Men First Class, Kick-Ass) and director James Watkins (Eden Lake), take some liberties with the source material in an effort to “punch it up” for the younger crowd weaned on quick cuts and jump scares.

In his first post-Potter role, Daniel Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer sent to settle the affairs of the Eel Marsh estate in a northern English village. He still grieves the loss of his wife, who died in childbirth, and remains emotionally distant from his son and is down to his last tether at work before being shown the door.  Upon arrival at the village, Kipps is met with suspicion and outright hostility by the locals. Despite their protestations, he heads out to the house which is separated from the town by a causeway that can only be crossed when the tide is out. Digging through the mountains of disorganized paperwork left behind, Kipps uncovers the story of a boy that tragically drowned, and a mother driven mad with grief and rage. As the home comes alive around him, he learns about The Woman in Black, whose appearance precedes the death of a young child.

The Woman In Black works best when sticking to Victorian era trappings. Fallen into disrepair with cobwebs covering oak paneled and oil painting covered halls, the Eel Manor lends itself perfectly to the classic haunted house story.Watkins makes fantastic use of the manor by filming it mostly with minimal natural and candle light, allowing long shadows to cast a pall on the gloomy interior. It adds a great sense of uneasiness and the feeling that terror looms just outside of view or around the next corner. You'll definitely find your eyes roaming all over the screen trying to find something that looks out of place. The best moments of the film are the long stretches Radcliffe spends alone in the house, wandering from room to room in near silence. As each minute builds, the slowly mounting sense of dread puts a pit in the middle of your stomach.   

It’s impossible to discuss the creepy factor of the Eel Marsh manor and not talk about the nursery. Whoever found those old, wind-up toys deserves a huge pat on the back as they were just plain frightening. In a brief, but brilliant bit, a reflection of moving candle flame in a doll’s eyes give it the unnerving  appearance of following Radcliffe as he walks through the room. Covered in grime and rusted out from years of non-use, the toys still give off a vibe that they're going to spring to life at any moment, and Watkins allows the camera to linger on their stoic faces, keeping the audience on edge. 

As for The Woman herself, Goldman’s script wisely keeps her in the background early, yet infuses an odd J-Horror vibe as it progresses.  The Woman's first two appearances are background “blink and you’ll miss it” moments that provide a terrific jolt if you notice her. In the rare instances the camera reveals her face it’s twisted into a terrifying, hate filled countenance.  Goldman’s script calls on her to take a more active role in the proceedings. She seems to communicate with children, forcing them to off themselves in gruesome. By the end of the film she’s rushing to and fro, trying to get her hands on Kipps, which makes the film feel a bit too much like The Grudge and less like the classic ghost story it pulls off in its best moments. Watkins also seemed unsure if his meticulously paced film would be enough to scare audiences, and at times relies on jump scares and stingers to grab a cheap jolt from the crowd. Honestly, based on the source novel and original British telefilm, the character works better as shadowy figure whose mere appearance threatens doom rather than a physical threat.

Radcliffe proves that he has a long career ahead of him outside the realm of kiddies’ fantasy films. He’s asked to play older in this film, and manages to pull it off. With a simple slouch in his posture, or hangdog look on his five o’clock shadowed face he manages to pull off a tremendous air of sadness and loss. He conveys the feeling that he wants The Woman to be real because it would mean that the afterlife is real, and he can one day be reunited with his wife. Though he has to spend long stretches of the film alone, he’s also assisted with a tremendous cast of supporting character actors. Ciaran Hinds plays the local aristocrat that befriends Kipps, and perhaps due to the pair working together on the Potter films, but they share an easy chemistry that makes their fast friendship believable.

If The Woman In Black falls just short of greatness, it’s because it panders to the teen crowd at the expense  of its adult story. That said it is a very good film with stunning visuals and atmosphere coming out of its wazoo. Strong performances and drawn out nightmarish sequences make for a fun night at the movies, and sometimes that’s all you need for a night of entertainment.