The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black

Stephanie Davidson

Instead of watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, I went to see The Woman in Black with my sweet-hearted and horror-loving mother. For us, it was the ideal girls’-night-out movie; but I also wanted to see Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe in something new.

For those of you who would see this movie purely for Harry Potter Radcliffe, make sure you chow down on most of your popcorn during the first half to avoid flinging it everywhere during the many BOO! SCARY! moments. And don’t expect the teenaged Boy Who Lived: Radcliffe plays widower and father Arthur Kipps. He has facial scruff, drinks hard liquor (straight!), and looks pretty darn good in a cravat. I admit, I struggled with hearing the adorable little boy call Radcliffe “daddy” and seeing a wedding ring on Radcliffe’s finger, simply because he still looks so young to me. But if you’re a Radcliffe fan and can handle some heart-pounding moments, go see it!

I did have to give my head a shake a few times, though. Arthur Kipps sitting on a train instantly translated to Harry on the Hogwarts Express for me (why aren’t the photos in his newspaper moving?), and the walls of Eel Marsh House, his haunted destination, are covered in big paintings a la Hogwarts’ hallways.

The film’s aesthetic will wipe these little moments of recognition clear from your head, though. It exploits everything that is creepy about turn-of-the-century childhood. I can handle gross stuff, demonic stuff, serial killer stuff, you name it—but the disembodied, tinny music-box music and creepy dolls and grotesque wind-up toys in this film can just go straight to hell. Some horror films can get really hammy with the eerie childhood elements, but The Woman in Black handled them wonderfully. The beady eyes on the toys don’t move—rather, the reflection from a candle gives the illusion of life. It’ll give you the crawlies.

Subtleties like that are what I really appreciated about The Woman in Black. The film’s foley work uses the theatre’s surround sound to really make you feel like you’re locked in Eel Marsh House with Arthur. Sounds coming from upstairs truly do sound “upstairs,” and at times, you can even hear the candle flames burning. And what I enjoyed most of all was that the ghostly elements were not overdone. I hate cheesy, overdone CGI in horror movies. There was one “ugh” CGI moment in The Woman in Black that cut the intensity of a great scare sequence, but almost everything else creeped me out delightfully.

Underneath the scariness, however, is widespread sadness. Every character you meet is grieving for someone, and a lot of children die. If on-screen suicide is exceedingly upsetting or triggering for you, do not see this movie.

Upsetting on-screen moments seem to be rampant in director James Watkins’ horror game plan. I saw another one of his horror films, Eden Lake, a while ago and I loved it, simply for its off-the-beaten-path storyline and unflinching brutality. The Woman in Black is quite a bit tamer than Eden Lake, and definitely more mainstream, but I’m starting to notice a trend in the kind of endings Watkins is drawn to (which I will not be spoiling here!).

I don’t think I’d watch The Woman in Black again in theatres, but I would definitely watch it at home once it’s released, even if only to ogle the beautifully creepy aesthetic and cinematography once again. If you’re thinking of seeing it, I definitely recommend a trip to the theatre!