The Woman in Black

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The Woman in Black

PG-13

Released Feb 3, 2012

1h 35m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

196 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a lawyer, is recently widowed and grieving the loss of his wife when he is sent to a remote village to put a deceased eccentric's affairs in order. Soon after his arrival, it becomes clear that the villagers are hiding a terrible secret. Kipps discovers that his late client's house is haunted by the spirit of a woman who is trying to find someone and something she lost, and that no one -- not even the children -- is safe from her terrible wrath.

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Critics Consensus

Traditional to a fault, The Woman in Black foregoes gore for chills -- although it may not provide enough of them for viewers attuned to more modern, high-stakes horror.

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Kate Muir

Times (UK)

The set-up is chillingly effective, suffused with a nagging, damp disquiet from the marshes nearby.

Dec 27, 2023

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Bruce Diones

The New Yorker

The moody, beautifully composed production raises it above the norm.

Feb 26, 2012

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

It all works reasonably well but the film lacks real punch.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 10, 2012

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

An entirely spooky and exciting throwback to some of the best haunted house movies of yesteryear.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 24, 2023

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The filmmakers rely far too much on common ghost story mechanics to propel the plot.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 1, 2023

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

With the exception of a few cheap, loud, volume burst jump scenes, the movie manufactures its terror through slick camera work, dark and dreary locations, and a genuinely spooky ambience.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 21, 2022

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Howes J

If you like spooky ghost stories that make you jump...then watch this! In many ways it's a good, old fashioned ghost story set in rather dismal Victorian surroundings, with plenty of dim candle lit scenes, looming old houses full of cobwebs and sinister faces appearing at windows. The lack of colour adds to the suspenseful atmosphere. However, it's let down by an annoyingly weak and rather confused ending. It's a shame because the film deserves better. So overall, a firecracker film with a damp squib attached.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/13/25

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Natasha H

I recently rewatched this and forgot how technically interesting the movie is. The shots are well-crafted, even if the story isn't as scary as I remember. It's worth a watch, for sure.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

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Colleen W

Although not a huge horror fan, I have still seen quite a few of them. For me, this was one of the scariest I have ever watched. I guess it was the super eerie atmosphere, tension and build up in that creepy old house. The Woman was also terrifying!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/17/25

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Jason W

Fantastic production with lots of jump scares. The story was fairly straight forward which wasn't a bad thing. Definitely a slow burn. Great make up and effects.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

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Patrick C

Surprisingly scary as well as engaging, visually interesting, and sad. I don't usually like ghost stuff. I don't find it scary. But this movie has some great jumpscares.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/25

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Peter F

Watchable but uninspired and neither particularly scary, nor very engaging on an emotional level. Everthing you see in this movie you've seen in other ones countless times, and in many other ones the pieces are both better executed and better combined. What saves this is a rather good performance of its cast, most of all Radcliffe and Ciaran Hinds, but overall a forgetable movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

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James Watkins

Director

Daniel Radcliffe

Arthur Kipps

Misha Handley

Joseph Kipps

Roger Allam

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Ciarán Hinds

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Janet McTeer

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Synopsis

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a lawyer, is recently widowed and grieving the loss of his wife when he is sent to a remote village to put a deceased eccentric's affairs in order. Soon after his arrival, it becomes clear that the villagers are hiding a terrible secret. Kipps discovers that his late client's house is haunted by the spirit of a woman who is trying to find someone and something she lost, and that no one -- not even the children -- is safe from her terrible wrath.

Director: James Watkins
Producer: Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes, Brian Oliver
Screenwriter: Susan Hill, Jane Goldman
Distributor: CBS Films
Production Co: Exclusive Media, Alliance, Film Väst, CBS Films, Hammer Films, Filmgate Films, Cross Creek Pictures, UK Film Council, Talisman Films
Rating: PG-13 (Violence/Disturbing Images|Thematic Material)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 3, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 3, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.3M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital

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