Movie Review: The Woman in Black

In James Watkins' The Woman in Black, terror lies beyond every corner. Daniel Radcliffe trades in his life at Hogwarts for a shot at the horror genre in this supernatural tale. Radcliffe plays a man by the name of Arthur Kipps, who is struggling to keep his job after the terrible loss of his wife. Kipps travels to a quiet, unfriendly village to work a case that will either make or break his job and in doing so, stumbles upon a mysterious house.

The film starts out slow and continues at a rather slow pace throughout its' duration, even at times of suspense. Although this might sound unappetizing, it actually works with this story. Radcliffe and the supporting cast all do a wonderful job of being very dry, eerie people. The townsfolk have secrets and are unwilling to share them, this much is obvious. As children in the village are mysteriously killed with each passing day, Kipps finds it harder and harder to stay away from the Eel Marsh House.

The exterior walls of this house are grand in size and intricate in design. Nestled on the top of a hill, in the middle of the ocean, this house of horror is only accessible when the tide is out. The woman in black haunts the halls of the Eel Marsh House and it is up to Arthur to discover why. The house plays with the minds of Arthur as well as the audience, with several cheap thrills but does so in a way that will constantly keep you on the edge of your seat. Floors squeak, chairs rock and toys will move by themselves. These are among some of the cheesier scares but this film makes them work and at times will mess with you.

This being Daniel Radcliffe's first big role since his popular career as Harry Potter, I was impressed with the character he played. Arthur Kipps is a family man who throughout the film wants nothing more but to be home with his son. Radcliffe stays away from the popular teenager stereotype of most horror films today and provides a performance that is much more believable. There will be times when you want to yell to Radcliffe "Don't go back in there, you idiot!" but without those moments, it would not be a horror film. At least he plays it off in a more realistic manner. His motives for continuing to travel back to the Eel Marsh House are solid and make sense.

Overall, this film was a breath of fresh air to the horror industry. Proving that gallons of blood and gore or cheesy 3-D effects are not necessary, The Woman in Black is a scary good time at the movies that everyone should enjoy!

I give The Woman in Black a 3.5/5