The Woman In Black

Director: James Watkins
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe; Ciaran Hinds

THERE’S the old saying that less is more, and when it comes to The Woman In Black, that is certainly true.
The premise for star Daniel Radcliffe’s latest film is pure gothic – set at the end of the 19th century, solicitor Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is ordered to head to Northumberland to negotiate the sale of a derelict house.
The grieving solicitor (he lost his wife Stella in childbirth four years ago) is given this last chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his employer.
But on arrival in Northumberland he finds that the locals are not very welcoming and when he makes it known that he is there to negotiate the sale of the house, the villager are even less charming.
From the moment Kipps arrives at Eel Marsh House at the end of Nine Lives Causeway, the tradition of Hammer Horror comes alive.
The approach to the house is brilliantly atmospheric with an eerie, nauseous feeling as the cab makes it’s way along the path.
Then Kipps arrives at the house which appears like Edgar Allen Poe’s House of Usher – a sense of dread pervades the viewer.
Once inside Radcliffe sets about going over the paperwork but inevitably he gets distracted by the sounds of the brick body that he is trying to sell.
Be warned, despite being a 12A this is one of the most terrifying films for a long while. It is more than just jumpy, there are moments of pure horror which will cause psychological damage with children.
Director James Watkins has perfectly mastered the composition and style of the genre. With previous work Eden Lake behind him, he has once again proven to the suits that less is more.
Rocking chairs, freaky wind-up toys and exploding pipes add to the atmosphere. Then there’s the appearance of our monster.
Flashes of the Woman are all that is needed and we never really see her features until the very last moment.
But the true star is neither the Woman, nor Daniel Radcliffe, who is convincing as a subtle solicitor trying overcome his own demons, but that of Hammer Horror.
It is back to basics before they went down the road of lesbian vampires, and this feature shows they can make ‘em like they used to.
There are a few moments where the film loses it a bit, such as towards the climax where Kipps vows to make amends for past misdeeds, and the ending is bit clichéd.
But, armed with a great script by Jane Goldman, adapted from Susan Hill’s original book, with Watkins at the helm they have created a proper horror movie, and one that is not only jumpy but will linger long in the mind. You won’t look at a rocking chair in the same way again.

You can also see this review on Boolean Flix. Here's the link:
http://www.booleanflix.com/2012/02/02/the-woman-in-black/