The Woman in Black Horror Film Review

by Tom Heffernan (Attrage)
(Australia)

Release Date: December 24, 1989

Directed by: Herbert Wise
Written by: Susan Hill, Nigel Kneale
Starring:

Adrian Rawlins as Arthur Kidd
Bernard Hepton as Sam Toovey
David Daker as Josiah Freston
Pauline Moran as the Woman in Black
David Ryall as Sweetman

This creepy little entry into the horror/thriller genre is unfortunately pretty obscure now, which is a shame because it's genuinely chilling and scary - two things increasingly rare in the genre these days.

Made for Britain's ITV in 1989 and directed by Herbert Wise, The Woman in Black begins in early 1900's London, where Attorney Arthur Kidd (Adrian Rawlins of the Harry Potter films) is given an unusual assignment by his overbearing boss - to attend the funeral of the widow of a long-term client, then stay at her isolated country house for as long as it takes to get her affairs in order - particularly rescuing some documents and arranging the sale of the house. Kidd has a young wife and a new baby, but he reluctantly agrees because his lazy-eyed boss makes it clear his chance of a partnership at the law firm is at stake. So Kidd boards a train bound for the middle of nowhere...oblivious to the horrendous experience waiting for him at the end of the line.

Reaching the seaside town of Crythin, Kidd finds the townspeople hesitant to talk about the creepy widow or her lonely old house. Ignoring their somewhat obtuse warnings he heads to the funeral, where he is surprised to find another solitary mourner, a mysterious woman dressed in a long black dress (Pauline Moran) who keeps her distance, but nevertheless manages to give Kidd a good case of the chills.

From there he heads out to the house, a creepy old mansion only accessible at low tide, so once he's in, he'ss trapped. He sifts through the detritus left behind by the hermitous old widow, including old papers and letters, and an audio diary the old woman kept. As he delves deeper into a growing mystery and slowly begins to learn who this mysterious woman in black is, things start to go bump in the night.

The Woman in Black is an adaptation of the Susan Hill novel of the same name, and the tight made-for-TV budget unfortunately assured the limited release and interest in the film. A classic ghost story, the low budget actually adds to the inherent creepiness of the film. It feels claustrophobic, minimalist, and shadowy. It has gained a certain cult following over the years, which may explain what I read in the IMDb rumor mill that a remake is slated for a release later this year or early next.

The Woman in Black serves to remind me of what got me into horror films in the first place. It's a good script aided immeasurably by a solid performance from Rawlins, set against a very creepy atmosphere with well-directed tension. Herbert Wise doles out just enough information to keep us enraptured by the mystery. Throughout the film, tension is kept high, sometimes almost unbearably so. To reveal any more of the film would be criminal. Rest assured if you like minimalist horror, ghost stories or just being scared out of your mind, you will find something to like here.