The Woman in Black

A proper ghost story. The atmosphere is hellish – swamps, fog, an old country manor, scary screams, the ghost of a lady in black... I got properly scared twice, which is something that happens very seldom. It doesn’t matter that the Woman in Black is clearly made for TV, it’s still horror at its best. (17/05/2010)

Unarguably an outstanding, atmospheric Gothic horror that apparently only the Brits know how to film. Mud, fog, a deserted farm, a close-knit community with a secret... You know the deal. However, although I usually like it when a novel isn’t blindly adapted and the adaptation contains some invention, here it rather spoils the overall experience. Because these aren’t minor changes in the story, but a complete reworking of Susan Hill’s novel. Not all changes are for the worse (the gadgets in the house), but the completely different story, character age and motivations (and in one case a different sex!) is a bit too much for me. Plus, leaving out the prolog and spilling the beans in the opening three-quarters of an hour has unfavorable effect on the ending which doesn’t have even half of the emotional impact as it does in the book which leaves you unsure until the very last pages about “what is actually going on" and then everything escalates incredibly only in the last few paragraphs. (09/01/2011)

One scene here is absolutely shitty, and I think I've seen enough horror movies already. In the made-for-television film, you can see that there are certain limitations, but all of them are used to the benefit of the atmosphere. The remake, which was recently filmed, is good, but the original film is just as good and deserves at least a television release in our forests and meadows. (24/07/2015)

Since arriving at the house, there’s a permanent charge of a depressing atmosphere and bad premonition. All the rest is just filler that doesn't move the plot or, heaven forbid, the atmosphere. For those who have watched similar films, the essence of The Woman in Black feels like a familiar routine. The ending is great. PS: The new adaptation of the novel by James Watkins promises much. (28/09/2011)