Film Review: The Woman in Black

DANIEL Radcliffe’s first post-Potter performance is as young widowed lawyer, Arthur Kipps, in the film adaptation of modern gothic novel, The Woman in Black.

The Woman in Black

Cert. 12A

4.5/5 stars

KIPPS is sent to settle the estate of the reclusive Alice Drablow, a mysterious individual who lived outside the village of Crythin Gifford, cut off by tidal marsh lands in Eel Marsh house.

Shortly after his arrival, Kipps notices a strange atmosphere, with the villagers inexplicably wary of him and ushering their children out of his way.

When a local girl dies in suspicious circumstances soon after Kipp’s encounters a veiled woman dressed in black, the young lawyer learns of a string of unexplained tragedies in Crythin Gifford and begins to understand why everyone was so against him disturbing the abandoned house.

As he becomes more desperate to return home to his own young son, Kipps uncovers the mournful truth about what happened at Eel Marsh and is surprised to discover the identity of the vengeful figure terrorising the village.

Director, horror junkie, James Watkins delivers a slow building tension before laying on the scares thick and fast.

Eel Marsh house is almost a character in itself, cloaked in thick fog and packed to the rafters with creepy dolls and creaky floors.

Jane Goldman (Jonathan Ross’ wife) has done a fine job of adapting Susan Hill’s original novel, with some successful visual additions and even more jump-out-of-your-seat scare moments than the heart-stopping West-End stage version.

The film may only be a 12A, but the continuous obscenities shrieked by the audience certainly are not.

AW