Movies.ie

• Critic rating
• Currently 1/5 Stars.

Movies.ie Critic Review

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (UK/Canada/Sweden/15A/94mins)

Directed by James Watkins. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McAteer, Ciaran Hinds, Sophie Stuckey, Shaun Dooley, Mary Stockley.

THE PLOT: Radcliffe plays young lawyer and single father Arthur Kipps, facing financial worries and the recent death of his wife when he’s employed to handle the estate of the faithfully departed Alice Drablow. Whilst there, Arthur glimpses a mysterious woman in black. The following day, a young girl who has drunk lye dies in his arms. The little girl turns out not to be the first child in the town to commit suicide, the locals believing the mysterious woman in black is wreaking revenge for the children taken away from her…

THE VERDICT: Based on Susan Hill’s 1983 novel about a menacing spectre that haunts a small Edwardian town, foreshadowing the death of children, The Woman In Black’s popularity as a tale is unquestionable – it’s the West End’s second longest-running play ever, after The Mousetrap. And now, the Radcliffe-led big-screen adaptation is already proving a hit with the critics. More importantly, cinema-goers in the US have embraced it, giving The Woman In Black a higher-than-expected opening weekend of $21m.

Rating N/A (No Irish press screening - will review on opening day)

Review by Paul Byrne 

• Avg User rating
• Currently 3/5 Stars.

User Reviews

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  samfolio

  

• • Currently 1/5 Stars.

  TheSpecs

  

  So un-scary it was funny. And Radcliff was unbelievable as a father of a toddler. And who made the genius decision to cast giants in all the supporting roles?! Poor Danny...

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  Onionhead

  

  Director James Watkins conjures a spooky atmosphere (a long overnight sequence in the house is like 'The Evil Dead,' done straight), but relies too much on loud noises and other 'Boo!' effects

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  Beth

  

  Very good film. Spent most of it hiding behind my hands. Initially it was hard not to think of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter,especially since he is playing a father but he gives a fairly decent performance. I would definitely recommend this.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  edible_animal

  

  I'll admit I'm a bit of a coward anyway so it did give me a few scares and the atmosphere was appropriately spooky. I liked the end and Radcliff made a valiant effort, but over-all it didn't feel like it contributed anything new to the genre.

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  WildRose86

  

  Possibly a 2.5 out 5 rating! Nice eerie setting, with a decent performance from Daniel Radcliffe. Lots of things to go bang in the dark, stays relatively fateful to the original novel. A few bits and pieces that are added in, more so to add up the timing (its a very short novel). Nice jumpy bits throughout.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  Hadouken65

  

  A great old school ghost story. Some great scares and a good story (rare these days).

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  darthrodney

  

  Harry Pott ... Sorry, Daniel Radcliffe is quite engaging in this role with some nice scare induced "jumps" littered throughout, the movie it's atmospheric and feels like "Hammer Horror" films embraced Asian films like The Ring and The Grudge and mixed them up in a cauldron. Nothing really new or unexpected with regards to the story ... Decent enough movie.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  laume

  

  Daniel Radcliffe outgrows Harry Potter convincingly in this well-done ghost story.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  mart

  

  Brace yourself for shocks and scares as doors slam shut of their own accord, an empty rocking horse tips furiously back and forth on its own, and a ghostly handprint appears and disappears on a windowpane.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  ging-grr

  

  What a great return for Hammer Horror to the big screen. Fantasticly eerie and atmospheric with a great performance from Daniel Radcliffe. It is one of the best horror movies I have seen in recent years. Well worth a look if you are a fan of traditional horror movies.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  Chad

  

  One of the better suspense and fright horrors I've seen in a long time, managing to capture the essence of the genre as Don't Be Afraid of the Dark tried to. The setting is great and very creepy throughout the entire film. Worth seeing!

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  filmbuff2011

  

  Susan Hill's bone-chilling 1983 novel The Woman In Black is one of those ghost stories that keeps regenerating, whether it's a stage play, TV movie or this new screen adaptation from the recently resurrected Hammer Films. Daniel Radcliffe tries to break away from Harry Potter as a dour, serious solicitor sent to tidy up the affairs of the late, suitably named Mrs Drablow. In her creepy, isolated house, he discovers an evil presence... and in true Hammer fashion, some fearful, suspicious villagers. An attempt at a resolution with the titular character is a new addition to the story, but it works well. The film is strong on atmosphere, building up a palpable sense of dread throughout... but yet the film never really feels that scary. To a seasoned horror fan like myself, it comes across as rather mild and not as scary as the 1989 TV movie. It's well worth a look though.

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  mell61

  

  nicely made creepy thriller. Similar to last years 'The Awakening', its a Victorian/Edwardian era haunted house story. The pacing is good, keeping you on the edge of your seat, and Daniel Radcliff is good as the lead character (I never saw Harry Potter only the character portrayed).