Terror and chills abound in James Watkins’ new film, “The Woman in Black.” Classic techniques of horror are used to terrifying effect as we see Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) menaced by the eponymous woman in black.
Stealthy noises in the night, a glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of your eye, toys and rocking chairs that move on their own and flashes of images right in front of your face that will cause you to jump in your seat.
Kipps is a young lawyer who is sent to find documents left behind by the late occupant of Eel Marsh, a decrepit mansion located on a spit of land only reachable by a thin winding road that is so low that it disappears when the tide comes in.
The locals are unwilling to help him in this endeavor and try to force him to leave. However, Kipps cannot fail this job because it is his last chance at the firm by which he is employed, and he has a young son, Joseph (Misha Handley), to support.
But he finds that the house comes with more than just a mountain of old papers. The grounds are haunted by the spirits of a woman shrouded in black and several young children, all of whom do their best to threaten Kipps. He soon discovers the legend of the woman and that she is, in fact, responsible for the deaths of the children in the village, a form of revenge for the loss of her son.
The mansion itself is a triumph of supernatural proportions with its crumbling façade and shadowy corridors. Watkins has helped create a masterful atmosphere for this style of ghost story. The hallways in the mansion are long and end in shadows. The rooms provide countless hiding places for shadowy specters, and each window becomes a portal into horror.
This film’s greatest strength lies in the brilliant sound work. The visuals on their own aren’t all that scary, but the atmosphere generated by the sound of a children’s toy turning on by itself echoing through a huge mansion is palpable. Screams and bangs are used expertly to create tons of “jump” moments throughout the film. Everything from a malfunctioning faucet to a ghostly shriek is used to keep the audience on their toes.
The one issue I had with this movie was Daniel Radcliffe. It’s not that he’s a bad actor, and it’s not even that I can only think of him as being Harry Potter. It’s because he looks and sounds entirely too young to be the father of a four-year-old.
Definitely check out “The Woman in Black” in theaters, where you can get the full experience of the eerie visuals, the horrifying sounds and the supernatural mastery that is Eel Marsh Manor.
4 out of 5 stars
Luke Bohannon