Ah ghost stories. Who doesn't love 'em? The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is one hell of a ghost story. I'm somewhat skeptical when it comes to the slew of modern ghost stories as most have been pretty underwhelming (in my personal opinion of course), but The Woman in Black really managed to delight and terrify me. It's an obvious throwback to past horror films of this kind. I was reminded of old horror films from the 30's and 40's and of course the Hammer horror films. Imagine my delight when during the opening credits I see that this film is actually a Hammer film. I'll be the first to admit my ignorance going into the film with regards to the crew. I of course knew Daniel Radcliffe and one other actor, Ciaran Hinds, but I had only seen one trailer and I haven't seen any of the other pictures the director has done. I knew of the writer, Jane Goldman, and I love what she did for the X-Men franchise with her work on First Class. With a solid enough writer I figured what the hell and I'd give this film a whirl. I was not disappointed in the least. It managed to be terrifying. The titular Woman in Black was a very scary and very ominous presence in the film. Every time she was on screen it filled the theater with a sense of dread. You never knew if she was just going to stand there and stare, disappear or rush the screen screaming like a Banshee. I've read other reviews that said it was somewhat generic in it's scares, and while that might be the case with some of the clichéd "loud noise" scares the atmosphere of the film and the presence of the Woman in Black are what really brought it all together for me. At no point did I become desensitised to the ghosts presence. It was just enough to keep you apprehensive. It made you want to plead with the character not to go down that hallway or don't open that door. I saw a quote online (and I can't for the life of me remember where) that said "Horror is when the audience has no idea what’s going to happen next, coupled with the awful suspicion that maybe they don’t want to find out." I honestly believe The Woman in Black achieves this.
The film takes place during the Edwardian era of England's history in a small village (and I don't recall if the village was ever named, but I don't suppose that matters) and that setting lends itself quite well to the old fashioned Gothic atmosphere it aspires to. Our main character is a lawyer who has to go to a spooky old house to settle the affairs of a recently deceased woman and the story picks up from there. I'm not one to give away the plot in a film like this and it is my opinion that the plot isn't really the driving force of this film. The atmosphere is, and it should be. The plot can't help but feel a little overdone and cliché. It has all the usual gothic horror elements: spooky houses, villagers warning the newcomer to stay away, ominous sounds, etc. As I mentioned above the film does feel like an homage to older horror, all the while maintain the dread that pictures like Paranormal Activity managed to achieve. I don't suppose it would feel too far-fetched to say this film is a bit of a blending of the old and the new. Older horror fans might appreciate it's throwback nature and delight in the fact that Hammer films are putting out movies once again and the younger generation who gobbled up Paranormal Activity and the like will enjoy the sharp scares the movie offers. I give this film a solid 8/10. If you're looking for some fun, creepy scares, look no further than The Woman in Black!
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