The Woman in Black * (2012, Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, Ciarán Hinds) – Classic Movie Review 10,205

The Woman in Black (2012) is an exceptionally dull and tame ghost story that has little going for it apart from Daniel Radcliffe’s strong central performance as London solicitor Arthur Kipps, grieving over the death in childbirth of his wife Stella, who is sent to settle the estate of a recently deceased woman, but finds that remote Eel Marsh House is haunted by the vengeful ghost of a woman dressed in black.

It is one of those frustrating fantasy horror dramas with no shocks, scares, swearing, screaming or surprises, and no gore either, just an eerie atmosphere and a doomy mood. At best it is sinister and spooky rather than a spine-chilling ghost story. Susan Hill’s 1983 Gothic novel is adapted in a competent screenplay by Jane Goldman, and there is professional work behind the camera.

Also in the cast are Janet McTeer, Ciarán Hinds, Misha Handley, Jessica Raine, Roger Allam, Shaun Dooley, Mary Stockley, Liz White, Cathy Sara, Victor McGuire and Alexia Osborne.

The movie was slightly cut in the UK for a 12A rating. Three scenes were trimmed and about 15 seconds are missing in the UK version, also used for home video releases.

A lot of companies are involved, but it is made in association with Hammer Films. It opened in the US to $20 million, the biggest opening ever of a Hammer film. In the good old days, if Hammer Films had made it, The Woman in Black would have delivered the horror thrills.

Director Herbert Wise’s 1989 TV gem The Woman in Black, in which Adrian Rawlins plays Arthur Kidd, has a screenplay by Nigel Kneale and is made by Central Independent Television Films. He later played Dr Rhodes in Hammer Films’ The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2014), the sequel to The Woman in Black (2012).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,205

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