I can honestly say that I have really never been more terrified in a film. Not that I can remember. From the beginning of the film, the mood is set - something is horribly wrong. The screenplay was simply brilliant. The adaptation from stage to screen was highly successful, in my opinion. The scenic designer did a fantastic job with everything from the nursery to the town Kipps stays at. The directing was also something to be applauded. Over all, this film was wonderful and I would recommend it. And I must say, Dan Radcillffe did a great job. He may not be the most incredible actor, but he has really improved so much. It’s most evident here because he could not hide behind words or a wand, he could use just his face and body language. They are an actor’s tool after all. To be able to carry a film with body language is something to be commended. Few actors can.
On another note, I adored the fact they never hid the Woman in Black. They embraced her from the beginning, with little traces of a face in the windows as they were passed. The simplicity of the film was what I think made it so terrifying. There weren’t blood and guts flying around with a poor sap strapped to an operating table while a deranged lunatic tries to connect him to the anus of another. It was a simple, yet effectively frightening, ghost story. I can say I loved every second of it.
If you love horror films, give it a go.