The Woman in Black - A Movie Review

Did you see her? I swear I just saw the woman in black.

The Woman in Black is a 2012 remake based on the 1989 film. Traveling to a remote island, Arthur Kipps discovers the dark secrets of a ghostly woman terrorizing families. Kipps must get to the bottom of his investigation as he learns about the woman’s dark backstory.

I have seen The Woman in Black about three times and on my third watch, I had a different opinion on it. Because the talented Daniel Radcliffe is in the film, his performance transfixes audiences from the usual horror cliches the film runs on.

This was Daniel Radcliffe’s first film following the final installment of the Harry Potter films. It’s hard not to see Harry Potter in most of Radcliffe’s performance. You can spot a lot of references. Aside from that, Radcliffe is excellent. He embodies Arthur Kipps and his grief.

I am impressed with Radcliffe’s ability to act with his eyes. Most of that time, that feels like this only motive. The Woman in Black heavily relies on jump scares and its dark atmosphere, forcing Radcliffe to do repetitive scenes of Arthur investigating the terrors. He is silent for most of the film, letting his eyes convey the horror.

The ensemble of The Woman in Black’s main duty is to stare demonically at Arthur and warn him about the evils inside the house. Ciaran Hinds is a standout. I like the friendship that is sported between Arthur and Sam. Their friendship is a lesson on how friendships help you rekindle grief.

Except, more could have been done with Hinds’ character. For example, there is a scene where he is experiencing the hauntings in the mansion. And then all of a sudden it cuts away and it’s never brought up again.

Other credits include Janet McTear, Jessica Raine, Tim McMullen, Roger Allen, and a frightening appearance by Liz White. The ensemble could have had more to do aside from giving Arthur warning looks.

One of my favorite characters was Joseph Kipps (Misha Handley), Arthur’s young son. Because he was played by Radcliffe’s real-life Godchild, the interactions between them felt real. I wish that his son could have been part of the story more as it carried a lot of emotional layers. It was the most genuine part of the film in my honest opinion.

The dark atmosphere and setting are the best parts of the film. Using actual music boxes and antique mechanical toys, it’s easy to say that this film was more about documenting the horror angle than development.

Literally, the film spends a good chunk of time witnessing Arthur wander through the house. It became humorous watching Arthur run upstairs only for him to run outside, and then back inside to find this ghostly figure. The jump scares which consisted of ghostly figures and hearing strange noises became repetitive.

The design for Eel Marsh House was gothic. The setting for the film is visually stunning. James Watkins dove into the haunting atmosphere, planning ominous camera angles. Watkins had a good direction throughout, capturing an unknowing tone.

It’s just that he overdid the horror. He could have worked closely on character development instead of repetitive story structure.

Did you know that The Woman in Black is a remake of the film from 1989? In that adaptation, Adrien Rawlins played Arthur Kipps. Rawlins played Harry Potter’s father, James Potter, in the Harry Potter series!

Despite its repetitive nature in jump scares, The Woman in Black is still a horror film that you need to watch. The performances and atmosphere are worth it.