The Woman in Black: Review By Bawnian©-Dexeus

The Woman in Black is a 2012 horror-thriller film.

Directed by: James Watkins.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Sophie Stuckey and Liz White.

In the last decade or so, there have been a handful of horror films. Some full of suspense, a few that are carried by simple gore and blood, a couple more thrilling than horrific and finally, cheap entertainment. Now, The Woman in Black actually plays like a horror film, while trying to tell a story. It builds suspense like it should, even of the scares don't affect me at all. Ok, that's a lie, there were a couple of moments where I jumped from my seat; this is what happens when you allow yourself to look for the scary part, and then it turns its ugly face (literally) and yells at you.

Daniel Radcliffe stars as Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer sent by his firm to organize paper work from a deceased woman in a mansion located on a rocky hill surrounded by marsh. it is later in his two day stay that he is visited and haunted by a woman in black.

For a decade, our young protagonist has taken the role of one our most beloved characters, Harry Potter. The Woman in Black marks his first lead role since the world of magic, and while it isn't the best of the year or the scariest, it's a very good start into a promising career. Though the movie doesn't produce much dialog, the performances are never exaggerated, however, while Radcliffe doesn't promote a scared as sin gentleman, he does provide the look of a man who suffered a terrible loss and cravings of familiar reunions. The Woman in Black is a movie full of classic clichés that are well executed; from the rocking chair to the bumps through the walls in the night.While we have seen all of this done before, it was good to see how creatively they be seen. I"ll never understand why the country people never leave the haunted area they live in, but it wouldn't be fun at all for the overall story. If its abandoned, no one will stick around, unless its Silent Hill, then you are screwed. The movie has a solid cast, even a supporting role from Hinds.

Visually, the movie maintains the pale, creepy, dark allure that all horror films should promote. For a widow man, the pale almost looks real. That or its his natural skin. I can't tell these days. Actors don't go to the beach anymore. The scares are minor, at least for me. Hell, the day before the movie was released, a girl in my production class said, and I quote "The scariest movie I've seen in a while". But, lets remember, she's a woman. Like I said, I admit to have been caught of guard from a couple of scenes. Though a good movie, the ending, how ever expected, was quite disappointing.

Overall, The Woman in Black allows Radcliffe to break free from Potter and continue a fresh slate. Not the best, but hopefully, we get to see more work of him as a lead actor.

Written by: Bawnian©-Dexeus.