The Woman in Black

You will need a large sheet of paper if you want to make a tick for every cliché you come across. And yet we find ourselves struggling to control the urge to praise this British horror film to the skies. How come? Because it is really enjoyable to find yourself starting with fear like old times or to get the shivers from the ominous atmosphere that hangs over the film, like a mist that just refuses to lift. The Woman in Black is all about suggestion and goes against the tide of horror films that explicitly show the worst horrors and try and force you to look away. The Saw series may be the best-known example of that, but it is far from the only one. In the lead role, Daniel Radcliffe is OK, but no more. As in the Harry Potter films, he doesn’t react very strongly as all sorts of strange things happen. Fortunately, that suits his unfortunate character. A young lawyer by the name of Arthur Kipps is sent to a coastal village in Edwardian England to deal with the estate of the late Mrs Drablow. Of course he pays no attention when the hostile villagers warn him not to go to Drablow’s remote country house, which is almost surrounded by the sea. According to the superstitious, Eel Marsh House causes the mysterious deaths of children.

Inside the haunted house the staircases creak, the doors squeak, and empty rocking chairs rock ominously. There are photogenic cobwebs wherever you look. Full marks for the design people. Our valiant lawyer has recently lost his wife and is, accordingly, particularly susceptible to ghostly appearances – such as the woman in the film’s title. The idea came from a gothic novel by Susan Hill. The director, James Watkins, does his job – of scaring us – superbly well. Sound is his most effective weapon. He already impressed us in 2008 with another horror film, Eden Lake, but that was in a completely different register and style. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

The Woman in Black •••
UK, 2012, dir.: James Watkins, act.: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, 94 min.