There has always been a place in my heart for the horror movies of Britain's legendary Hammer Studios. Long before my brain was able to attach the iconic black and white visages of Karloff and Lugosi to their literary counterparts, it had the likes of Lee and Cushing to usher my childhood interests into the very adult realm of horror. I relished the hyperrealistic sets and stern British countenance on the faces of its thespians. To me, Hammer was the quintessential maker of nightmares. As I grew older my fondness never waned, only my appreciation for its predecessors as I included Universal into my lexicon of all time greats. In this world of oversaturated torture porn, teen slasher and found footage flicks, the days of Hammer seem long removed and all but forgotten. The studios now tend to scream “boo!” before you even turn the corner, instead of stalking you like the great ones did. So, it was with great excitement, and a little bit of trepidation, that I celebrated the return of Hammer. The Resident, although a nice thriller, seemed like a trial run. Wakewood, however, saw the new Hammer stretching its legs, and, then we were treated to a nice little trailer for a new production called The Woman in Black. Now THIS...THIS... was starting to look like Hammer. The costumes, the sets, the story, they all screamed a return to form for the Studio. Add in Daniel Radcliffe, right off of his titular stint as one of the most recognizable modern literary characters turned to celluloid, and I was excited.
Many modern horror films could take a cue from this film because it delivers. It delivers on all the promises of Hammer's classics and gives us a fable that while it could exist in the same period as its progenitors, never feels tired or outdated. With no heavy reliance of CGI or other modern conventions, the film itself in both setting and production has a timeless feel to it.
The story follows Arthur Kipps, a young man whose tragic loss of his wife has left him on the outs with his employer and in a last ditch effort to save his career agrees to take assignment collecting and ordering the affairs of a deceased family whose lives were also beset with tragedy. Tragedy is the crux of this story and is the driving force behind the supernatural evil that threatens to take the life of every child surrounding the derelict estate sinking in the marshes outside the small town.
Upon arrival, the town and its residents see Kipps as an outsider that can only threaten to worsen their accursed lives. After several attempts to get the young man to leave, Kipps resolve is only strengthened and he enters the estate, not knowing what awaits him. THIS, the “haunted house” portion of the films is extremely effective and sets up every scare with just enough foreboding to make you squirm waiting for the reveal. It is in this that Radcliffe also shows us how his skills outside of the Potter franchise come to him as effortlessly as they did throughout the series. Mournful, inquisitive, stubborn and grievous, Radcliffe's turn as the young accountant is note perfect, as is the long list of character actors that accompany him.
Kipps survives the night, ultimately becoming a believer in the local legend of the “woman in black” and begins to unravel the mystery behind her otherwordly pain and bloodlust for revenge. To say that his quest is a grim and dour one is an understatement and an already dark film becomes to plum the depths of darkness. It is the tone and overall atmosphere of WIB that truly brands it a Hammer film. From the claustrophobic feel of the small besieged town to the alien, yet beautiful mansion on the moors, WIB uses its paintbrush wisely, painting landscapes that are as foreign as they are familiar.
Our spectral antagonist proves to be worthy of her reputation and the scares where where she is central do not disappoint either. The evil in WIB has motives, and a thirst for revenge that is not easily slaked. It is this too that makes WIB so effective. Neither are we given a mutant hillbilly with cannibalistic hunger or an unstoppable supernatural stalker with preternatural strength and an idiot savante's knack for outwitting teenagers. We are instead given a force that feeds on loss, regret and ultimately revenge.
With a great cast, oodles of atmosphere and plenty of scares, The Woman in Black shows that Hammer can still hit the nail on the head.
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