The Woman In Black

Since its publication in 1982, Susan Hill’s novel The Woman In Black has been adapted extremely successfully for radio, television and, most notably, for the stage. Here, director James Watkins brings this most British of ghost stories to the silver screen in conjunction with that most British of film studios – the newly revitalised Hammer.
The Woman In Black tells the tale of young widower Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe).

He’s a lawyer spending time away from his young son for the first time – sent to tidy up the affairs of the recently deceased Mrs Drablow. Her home, a huge Edwardian pile located on in the middle of swampy marshland stands detached and isolated by a tidal causeway. The nearest townsfolk are less than hospitable – leaving Arthur with little support when strange things begin to happen on Eel Marsh Island.

There is nothing new here. Fans of classic horror will recognise all the standards of the genre: creaky rocking chairs and creepy children, spooky toys and terrible taxidermy, noises in the night and movements in the shadows, grieving parents and possessed mothers. Central to it all is Radcliffe’s Arthur: a subdued and controlled performance which hints at a maturity beyond the actor’s tender years. Sadly his age remains a problem: he’s simply not old enough to be entirely convincing as a bereaved father.

That’s not to say that The Woman In Black is a poor film. Far from it. It wears its influences well and upholds the proud tradition of haunted Hammer houses. The supporting cast is suitably grizzled, the atmosphere is genuinely creepy and the direction entirely convincing: Watkins has great pedigree in the genre. Whilst it’s not at all original, it’s good to see something so resolutely old-fashioned in an era where 3D torture-porn has become decidedly stale.