> REVIEW
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The Woman In Black (2012)
Hammer time…
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By Simon Francis | February 2012
DIRECTOR: James Watkin
WRITER(s): Jane Goldman/Susan Hill (source)
James Watkin (Eden Lake) delivers a spine chilling horror story courtesy of a Hammer reboot of the Susan Hill classic novel The Woman in Black. With Daniel Radcliffe at the lead, in his first film since devoting a decade of his life to the Potter franchise, all eyes are on the boy wizard and whether he can deliver a performance worthy to be outside Hogwarts.
Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, a widowed solicitor on the brink of suicide if it were not for his four year old boy Joseph (Misha Handley). Kipps is sent from London to a remote village to settle the paperwork for the deceased occupant of a creepy, old mansion situated in the marshlands. Upon his arrival the townsfolk are less than welcoming and his only friend is an old, wealthy sceptic Daily (Ciarán Hinds). During his stay in the mansion, Kipps discovers spooky occurrences and a mystery which connects a vengeful ghost to the deaths of the town children.
Although the era is difficult to pin-point and Radcliffe still appears a little too young to be a widower and father to a four year old boy, he is believable and progressively impressive in parts. And whilst the film may not offer anything in the way of originality, after all, it’s better to have our hero walking towards danger with an axe and a lit candle instead of running the other way in shear terror, Radcliffe and Watkin do manage to capture death and misery admirably well in this timely adaptation.
Radcliffe is backed up with a stellar cast including the ever dependable Ciarán Hinds and Tony Award winner and Oscar nominated Janet McTeer, in a short, but enjoyably eerie performance.
Jane Goldman (Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class) delivers on her first official solo outing, creating a riveting adaptation of the classic spooky novel that concentrates solely on the scare factor. And there are plenty scares; each one teasing out the next which leaves you begging for a break just so you can refrain from holding your breath. The sound design is expertly concise with every creek and knock amplified to maximum effect, while the colour and backdrop are fantastically grey and drab perfectly serving the morbid theme.
Some die-hard fans may be disappointed by the decision to give a sense of serenity to the ending rather than tragedy, but in the first Hammer film to be made in England in over three decades, Radcliffe, Watkin and Goldman provide a winning formula for vintage horror fans.
Script…………………………………………………………………………………………….
A slick and impressive adaptation of Susan Hill’s seminal horror tale. Goldman
draws inspiration from J-Horror, conjuring a well-constructed narrative played effectively by an impressive cast. 4
Direction………………………………………………………………………………………..
Watkin deploys a stretched frame, teasing and delivering scares in abundance.
The debatable casting of Radcliffe isn’t a complete success, but is far from the
disaster some had feared. 3
Verdict…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Arguably more style than substance, but this is still a welcome return to form for
Hammer and British horror in general. 4
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