The Scares Without the Story - The Woman in Black review

Plain and simple, I am a horror buff. I love a good scare. With the recent slew of torture films, and the growing trend of the “found footage” sub-genre, I am always excited for a return to atmosphere over gore, and creepy over gimmicky. This is what The Woman in Black promised. While it delivered some of what I expected, it also failed in areas that surprised me. 

The film follows a grieving lawyer (played by Daniel Radcliffe) as he travels to a small village to settle the estate and papers of a dead woman. In the meantime, he uncovers the truth behind her death, a spooky town superstition, and a seriously haunted house. While the plot seems easy to follow, it was muddled by useless characters, confusing story diversions, and random children dying left, right, and center. There needed to be more background information, more character development, and ultimately, more answers. 

Generally, in Hollywood horror, children and animals are off limits. They never die. Sure, there have always been demonic youngsters, but innocent children aren’t usually killed. They are always saved at the last minute. So, one of the novel elements of The Woman in Black (and don’t worry, I’m not giving anything away here) is the fact that so many kids die onscreen. In this way, the film is reminiscent of international horror films, like The Orphanage, and A Tale of Two Sisters. It was refreshing to see a director pay homage to such great, scary films, without doing an actual remake. However, the film’s murky delivery reminded me too much of said remakes, like the American versions of The Ring and The Grudge. 

The good news is if you’re looking for nothing but a good scare, this is the movie to see in the coming weeks. Personally, I found most of the scares to be cheap and easy shots, but they nonetheless do the trick. That being said, there were a few moments where the director, James Watkins, used impeccable timing, candlelight, and set design to deliver the thrills. 

There has been much speculation about Radcliffe’s performance. Will he be able to pull off this role, or will he forever be Harry Potter? To be honest, I was impressed. Radcliffe was dedicated and believable. I have absolutely no qualms with his acting. The supporting cast was also strong, coming together well as a nervous small seaside town with secrets and mysteries to hide. 

Without too much thought during or afterwards, The Woman in Black, is a fun night out to the movies. It’s a good old ghost story, grounded in local folklore. Even if you aren’t afraid of the dark, there’s no saying that you won’t turn on every light in the house after seeing this flick. 

Why is everyone queuing?

This was a question asked by an odd British gal arriving mere minutes before the premiere of Daniel Radcliffe’s latest flick, The Woman in Black. “We are waiting for Daniel Radcliffe,” everyone replied. She looked puzzled and asked again, “I KNOW, but WHY is everyone QUEUING?” A collective sigh was heard from the “fangirl” mob that had, in fact, been queuing since 9am. 

Personally, I arrived at the Scotiabank Theatre closer to 10am, bundled up in preparation for a nine hour day braving the cold, rain, and snow. As I waited for my eleven year old cousin, Jett, to be dropped off, I manned our spot, which was third in line. What we were lining up for was yet to be determined, but either way, it was going to be a long day. I made friends with the two girls in front of me, whose names I never learned even though we became quick allies in the fight against other people trying to “butt” ahead of us. Yes, butt. That term still applies beyond third grade. 

The general manager came out soon after I arrived and told us we were waiting in the right spot, but he wasn’t sure if Daniel would be entering through the main entrance or not. It wasn’t all bad news because he also assured us that if there were extra tickets, we would be the first to get them. That little bit of hope was all we needed to keep us going throughout the day. Even if we didn’t catch a glimpse of Daniel himself, maybe we would score tickets for the premiere where he was expected to participate in a Q&A after the film. 

Fast forward nine hours, numbing limbs, and new friends - the time of the premiere was near approaching and it was chaos. People trying to get inside, people trying to get near the doors, people all over the road. Despite security’s best effort to keep the peace, things were getting out of hand. Everyone still expected Daniel’s SUV to pull up in front and for him to walk out, but considering there were no barricades, I knew it wasn’t happening. I’ve been to enough TIFF events to know that if the crowd is acting deranged and uncivilized, no celebrity will appear. The people with tickets were let in the doors, while the rest of us waited nervously. Jett and I, with our new friends, were prepared to make a human chain so no one could pass us.

As it turns out, the cards played in our favour and we scored tickets to the premiere! Shout out to the manager of Scotiabank - he followed through with his promise and made sure we were the first to get tickets. It was very much appreciated. Also, shout out to our new friends because they made sure Jett and I weren’t left in the dust - they also made sure we got tickets right along with them. The world isn’t such a bad place sometimes - nice humans still exist. Jett and I went inside and upstairs to the red carpet. We caught a glimpse of Daniel and excitedly ran to the theater to find front seats, thinking ahead of the Q&A after the film. 

Before the screening, Daniel Radcliffe and Toronto film critic, Richard Crouse, came out and said a little introduction. You could feel Potter passion fill the room. After their quick hello, the lights dimmed and the movie started. I love seeing advanced screenings of horror films.. the energy is just right for a good scare. There is a lot of hype, but no spoilers or plot details yet circling around. 

After the film and applause ended, Daniel and Richard reappeared. Upon arrival, Daniel waved back at the hundreds of fans, all the while shouting “Hello!!!!” in his boyish, charming way. Richard asked great questions about preparing for roles, theater, and sources of inspiration. Daniel answered thoughtfully and graciously. There were audience questions as well. He was as endearing as ever. We learned that one of his favourite films is Dr. Strangelove, and from the Harry Potter movies, he kept his famous round glasses from the first and the last films in the series. 

All in all, it was a great experience. Now that my appendages have begun to defrost, I can reflect lovingly at the closest I’ll ever get to Hogwarts.