The Woman In Black

The Woman in Black

Yesterday, breaking Valentines tradition of watching rom-coms, I went to see 'The Woman In Black' with some friends at the cinema. I had high hopes before I had even started watching, as in my GCSE years I went to see 'The Woman In Black' at the theatre, which was absolutely petrifying and wondered if the film would have to same effect! 
Directed by James Watkins, who has written and directed other horrors previously, and produced by Hammer. It has been eagerly anticipated by many, and does not disappoint.
Some fans of the book and the stage play may be a little disappointed because of the changes to the original storyline, yet it works well in the film. It is an old school ghost story, creating fear of the unknown, not presenting it to you on a plate like most horrors do these days!

A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

Radcliffe's performance in the film in my opinion could have been better. In some scenes I didn't think he showed his fear enough through his expressions which made his character lack a little. However, for his first film out of the comfortable franchise of Harry Potter, I do think he did excellently, it must be very hard to become a different character after 10 years of being the same one! But he really did do well on creating tension with the long, lingering, questioning looks, so his acting wasn't all bad!
What I really loved about this film was the jumpy factor. I for one am not great with scary films so was hidden behind my hands for most of the time! The editing was probably one of the best bits of the film, with many loud noises and sudden cuts that really make you jump, but were not really anything scary at all. (For instance, turning a tap on!)I jumped and screamed a lot so it was definitely a successful film because it really scared me! You don't see much of the elusive woman in black, but I think this is a good thing, as generally it seems people are more scared of the unknown. So with her only occasional presence she creates a lot of tension as you're never quite sure when she is going to pop up. There is a bit of comic relief from the film with the character of Mrs. Daily and her 'twins', two very cute chihuahuas! But then again moments after we meet her she is possessed by her dead son, carving a drawing into the table. 

Overall, I was really impressed by the film as it scared me just as much as it did in the theatre. It is well made and well casted, with relentless fear and tension throughout not letting you feel safe for a moment (especially the part with the rocking chair!). It an 'on the edge of your seat' film and a good watch. 3 Stars.