The Woman In Black

Brilliant film, good to see Hammer Horror is on form since its relaunch. Really good story line from start to finish with a few scenes that will make you jump. Very good ending and could be left open to a sequel or left to your own imgagination. This will be a film I can see watching a few times over.

This is a good old fashioned spooky film with excellent photography and lighting with exceptional timing. It does hold you throughout and the crescendo at the end is a little predictable but still gripping, however the actual conclusion is not in keeping with the darkness of the rest of the film and I found that a little pathetic. If you like soft horror instead of bloody terror then watch this film, it will get to those hairs on the back of your neck.

As with all films of this genre, the scare effect is greatest the first time you see it. While this is still the case for The Woman in Black, I have to admit that it does possess an eerie and creepy quality that continues to linger on subsequent viewings.

Daniel Radcliffe and Ciaran Hinds both give commanding performances and commit to their roles in this adaptation of Susan Hills 1983 novel of the same name. Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, a young Victorian-era lawyer with a small child. The passing of his Wife in childbirth four years earlier has left Kipps haunted with sorrow and unable to execute his duties to his employers satisfaction. On a last chance job, he is sent from London to settle the estate affairs of a deceased client. The old house is set in the English countryside on the outskirts of a small village and the townsfolk are typically superstitious and unwelcoming. However they have good reason, the village children have been dying at an alarming rate and a mysterious black figure has been seen in the grounds of the old house.

Hinds plays Sam Daily, one of the less superstitious neighbours in the village. He and Kipps strike up a friendship on the train journey in and he tries to help Kipps in solving the mystery. Daily and his wife, played by Janet McTeer, have also lost a son of their own under rather strange circumstances. The Childs death has left Daily heart-broken and his Wife suffering with a mental illness.

There are some of the usual scare tactics in this film but they are done really well while some very clever new one crop up here and there. There are numerous scenes where I felt chills running down my spine. The whole film is very dark and adds to the creepy feel and impending nightmare that approaches. I found the film enjoyably scary throughout. Please remember that this was adapted from a novel, and what works well in a book does not always work well on screen, so if you have read the book, be prepared for some changes.

Because of his past acting history in the most successful film franchise ever, it will be hard for most viewers not to see Daniel Radcliff as Harry Potter. I admit to feeling the same when he is on screen but after ten or twenty minutes you soon forget his previous role and the character he is really portraying emerges. A few more decent films and I think the shadow of Potter will fade.

Being a new film the image is sharp and without blemish, the sound is presented in 5.1 DTS and standard Stereo. The film runs for ninety five minutes and if you enjoy clever ghost stories like The Ring, then you will enjoy this.

Highly recommended for a good fright.

I was really looking forward to this movie, but was very disappointed. Not at all scary, very slow and not much of a story line. Save your money.

I saw what i can only assume was the uncut version and in all honesty don't know if any important bits are cut out of the uk release yet,but i can tell you i really enjoyed the old school horror style of it all. The silence and jumps work well and Daniel plays his role perfectly. A good story well told with bits to get you thinking,with the end being something i wasn't quite expecting,nice surprise. This film may have no gore,it doesn't need it,it relies on dark scenes with noises and flashes of things but done well in that good old school way that many films of today sadly seem to have forgotten. I shall certainly be buying this and look forward to watching this chilling film again.

Not sure whether one particular reviewer was watching the same film as me because this was brilliant!

Have to admit watching Daniel Radcliffe play a character with a 3-4 year old child feels incredibly odd seeing as he looks about 20, which I was quite sceptical about to start. I felt they'd completely miscast the main character.

However, Daniel actually does a fine job and you put aside the fact he doesn't look old enough to have a child that age. His performance is really very good and very believable.

This is a great thriller flick. There are a lot of moments of suspense, hiding behind sleeves and bits that make you jump. There were so many screaming girls in the cinema when I went to see this (think they just went for Radders).

It's also very dark which I liked and mysterious - it follows a similar storyline of films such as Sleepy Hollow and the Wicker Man where the protagonist is visiting a strange and unsettling town where nothing is quite as it seems and all the town folk are hiding a secret.

It's Daniel's character's job to find out what, and of course along the way there are a lot of scary sequences and 'no why would you do that, you just wouldn't do that!!' moments.

This is a film that both younger and older people will like, as it's dark but not ridiculously scary and is gothic rather than a horror.

The best bit about it is knowing you're going to see the woman in black at some point but not knowing when and knowing she's probably going to make you jump!!

the title says it all really, story is poor and slow going, i wish directors will learn that having a few jumpy moments in films doesnt make a good film, couldnt believe that harry potter was cast as main roll (i know thats not his real name), a poor choice for me, they should have used an older actor for me!!

Excellent film lots of "jumpy shivery bits" well worth watching again and again as you see things that you have missed and it still causes you to jump even though you know what is coming.

havent read the book so cant comment to the degree a fellow reviewer has done, but not many films do come close to matching the books. its a good old fashioned ghost story at end of day. lots of atmosphere and good quality scares. daniel radcliffe is going to take a while to shake off his harry potter tag, in this he gives an honest attempt tho his character is without depth. its a decent film and for fans of ghostly period pieces its ideal.

Daniel Radcliffe plays his part well despite still having a slight harry Potter voice. In a typical Hammer fashion he travels out to a small English town to tie up the affairs at an isolated house. There are a lot of horror cliches but this is a well made film and it works well and looks great. The story is quite erie and theres a few jumpy moments. Dont think the film had enough to it to be an all out classic but its a great attempt. If you enjoyed this then check out the even scarier Orphanage.