The Woman in Black (2012) Film Review: Chilling gothic ghost story is an underrated gem

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Set in early 20th century England, a young recently widowed solicitor, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), travels to a fictional remote Yorkshire village, where he encounters the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman, who has been terrorising the locals for years...

Directed by James Watkins (Eden Lake, 2008; Speak No Evil, 2024), with a screenplay by Jane Goldman, 2012's The Woman in Black is the second adaptation of the Susan Hill novel of the same name, which was previously adapted into a television movie in 1989.

The modern version of this classic haunted house story was notably produced by the legendary British company Hammer Film Productions. It also sees star Daniel Radcliffe in his first adult leading role shortly following the conclusion of the beloved Harry Potter film saga, which wrapped up with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011.

A young Daniel Radcliffe stars as a widowed solicitor in the Edwardian period, whose firm sends him to a remote village, where the terrified citizens are haunted by a vengeful spirit

Despite receiving generally positive reviews at the time, the film is less often discussed amongst horror fans. Although the movie does exhibit some typical genre clichés, such as fake-out jump scares, which were a common occurrence in horror films at the time, and some questionable plotting, this is a largely successful entry into cinematic old-school, gothic horror and deserves more attention and recognition for its many merits.

The movie is steeped in a heavy, bleak tone from the get-go, wasting no time in setting the scene with a disturbing opening presenting three redheaded sisters being drawn away from their tea party by a sinister force offscreen, proceeding to jump out of the attic window to the distraught cries of their mother below.

Slow motion, coupled with an effectively unsettling score by Marco Beltrami, which utilises a childlike nursery tune with a distinctly dark, off-putting edge, emphasises the spooky events yet to come when our protagonist arrives in the village to attend to the paperwork for the recently deceased Alice Drablow.

The ability to create a lingering, eerie atmosphere is essential for any horror period piece, and this particular film more than excels in this department. It steadily builds a gloomy sense of dread to earn its later thrills and scares, introducing us, as the viewers and protagonist Arthur Kipps, to the strangely tight-lipped, often hostile village dwellers and the imposing vastness of the causeway leading up to the grand Eel Marsh House.

Props must go towards the production department and location scouts, as the film genuinely looks fantastic, with the prime settings of Crythin Gifford village, the house and its grounds very well realised. Plenty of effectively chilling moments and subtle scares are executed in both locations, with lots of striking and memorable imagery littered throughout.

There is impeccable attention to detail in the set design of the house, with authentic period items greatly contributing to the scary atmosphere, such as creepy dolls in the nursery and most rooms only lit by candlelight.

English actress Liz White plays Jennet Humfrye, AKA 'The Woman in Black', with the striking costume signifying her eternal state of mourning following the tragic drowning of her seven-year-old son, Nathanial

Watkins demonstrates a compelling visionary style with creative filmmaking techniques, highlighting reflections in mirrors and the glass eyes of the aforementioned dolls, with POV and voyueristic shots suggesting an omnipresent figure which is always closely following our lead. There is a selection of genuinely heart-stopping compositions which feature Kipps in the foreground and an out of focus, dark veiled figure in the background, playing on classic haunted house tropes with dark shadows, large empty spaces and strange bumps in the night.

The titular woman in black is largely kept obscured until the forty-five-minute mark, culminating in the frightening reveal of her watching Kipps from a top window as he wanders around the grounds. The young lawyer's vulnerability is greatly exacerbated by the imposing isolation of his location and the hostile supernatural forces relentlessly haunting him.

Despite the suspense and tension built up, the real horror which really gets under your skin is the tragic aspect of Janet's history and the reasons behind her inability to move on, losing her young son to the marshes, and the boy not receiving a proper burial. An investable mystery surrounding her past is established early on, with new revelations giving way to more disturbing sequences.

The effects of grief after losing a loved one are a major part of the narrative's themes, with Kipps having also lost his wife and being left to raise his own son, as well as the many parents in the village who have lost their children to the woman's vengeful spirit.

The film sports an excellent cast all around, with Radcliffe proving he has much more to offer than only being known as playing 'The Boy Who Lived'. He captures the spirit of his book counterpart very well, with the rational, logical young solicitor struggling to maintain this outlook when he encounters dreadful circumstances with supernatural roots, resulting in deaths of many young children.

Radcliffe embodies a raw, emotive performance, with his character's visceral fear and exhaustion making him much more than a simple audience surrogate.

Kipps (right) and Daily (left) work together to uncover the mystery behind the hauntings and hope to finally lay the agitated spirits to rest by any means necessary

Other notable players who definitely deserve a mention are Ciarán Hinds and Janet McTeer as a local couple, who also lost their son to the woman's curse. Sam Daily's natural pragmatism and solid supportive presence provide a great accomplice to the young Kipps and McTeer as a still grieving mother delivers a wide-eyed, crazed performance, which adds another emotional anchor to the film.

This version of the story is well known for its polarising ending, which does offer a conclusive wrap-up, but is largely left open-ended and invites different interpretations as to the outcome of characters' actions. Although controversial and a deviation from the book's plot, the film's final few moments are a real gut punch and are somewhat satisfying in line with the themes set up previously. It definitely should not have had its dreadful sequel!

Overall, The Woman in Black does admittedly have its fair share of issues; however, it certainly gets more right than wrong. Watkins crafts a wonderfully atmospheric gothic horror tale, which is particularly unflinching in its depiction of children being directly put in harm's way, and features truly affecting, well put together set pieces which play on classic haunted house/ghost story phenomena.

If it has been a while since your first viewing, or if you have not seen it all, The Woman in Black is definitely worth popping on this Halloween season for a good fright.

Check out the trailer for The Woman in Black (2012) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!