The Woman in Black

Nowadays, when a horror movie comes around most people think of several things: pointless gore and torture, disturbing murderers, and overall...a cruddy movie. Of course nine times out of ten, this is true. A good scary movie is very hard to come by these days, but every once-in-awhile one manages to be a crowed pleaser. Since "The Woman in Black" is the first film to showcase the Hammer Film name (who were behind some of the most famous horror films such as the classic Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Mummy) in 35 years, it seemed like this film had promise, and with "Harry Potter" star Danielle Radcliffe as the leading man, the film guaranteed many eager viewers. But does "The Woman in Black" shine in a genre that hasn't been favorite of critics?

Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is going through tough times. His visions of his deceased wife, combined with financial problems and the threat of being fired from his job as a lawyer, are causing much trouble in his young life. He is given one last chance to prove himself a worthy worker and is sent to handle the estate of Alice Drablow. Things don't get much better for Arthur when he arrives to the small town where the house is located. Nobody seems to want him there and nobody is willing to take him to the house to begin with...oh, and a creepy ghost is haunting the entire town and is taking out her vengeance on children. Sound creepy? It is! Determined to get to the bottom of this haunting problem, Arthur must learn the past of this mysterious Woman in Black and work to prevent her from further harming not only the towns people but himself.

"The Woman In Black" stands out from other scary movies because of two big reasons: an intriguing character and an engaging story line. So many protagonists are never developed (or given time to) in films of this genre. Instead they are dumbed up only to be slaughtered to simply get a reaction. Not Kipps. It is very clear that the filmmakers want the viewers to really get to know and care for Arthur Kipps. Besides the fact that Radcliffe is almost never off the screen, the character is developed throughout the entire film so that by the climax, we want him to succeed (and survive).

The story itself is a very classic one and that is in no way a bad thing. Several plot points (to give an example would be spoiling the film) echo the most famous of the haunted house/ghost story flick. It's suspenseful, it's intense, and it isn't predictable. Yes it does draw from other ghosts stories but there are some twists and turns that you won't be expecting.

Now make no mistake, while the film is different than most horror films regarding the character and plot, it's all the same when it comes to the scares. "The Woman in Black" is heavy on the "jump scares." And they do it so perfectly that many of the scares come just after you would normally expect them. This process effectively drew screams from most of the audience in my theater (although there were a few who laughed at my terror and the terror of many others). Some people, such as myself, enjoy the feeling of waiting for something freaky to pop out on the screen, and if you are one of these people...you will be impressed. Another great thing about these scares is that they are achieved without the overwhelming amounts of gore found in most horror films

Hammer Films chose the right movie to be their first in so many years. The intense and engaging story and interesting protagonist, combined with Radcliffe's great performance, makes one great film that breaks the mold of the horror genre and succeeded in throwing me out of my chair in shock. I give it three stars out of four.

"The Woman in Black" has a running time of 95 minutes and is rated PG-13 for thematic material and violence/disturbing images.