The Woman in Black

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The Woman in Black

1989

1h 43m

Horror

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Popcornmeter

100%

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5 Reviews

78%

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1,000+ Ratings

Coastal English villagers warn an estate settler (Adrian Rawlins) about an old dark house; then he sees why.

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

02/18/2021

4/5

...lives up to its reputation as a lost classic...

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Alix Turner

Ready Steady Cut

02/10/2021

4.5/5

The British TV film adaptation of the Susan Hill novel, now restored for home release. A beautiful period drama, directed by Herbert Wise, written by Nigel Kneale.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

09/08/2020

7/10

What's really unnerving is the film's fearlessness in showing the antagonist in daylight - and the lack of reasoning or definitions when it comes to the ghost's capabilities.

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Sarah Cartland

Caution Spoilers

08/11/2020

4.5/5

Few locations are creepier than misty tidal islands, even without the ghosts. 30 years on this is still instantly gripping, and a richly intoxicating experience; the joy of sinking into a horror story so thoroughly frightening and so beautifully executed.

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Keri O'Shea

Warped Perspective

08/06/2020

Kneale's version has held its ground simply because it excels as a piece of terrifying tale-telling.

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Steven M

12/01/2024

It’s sad that horror films are not like this anymore. Good character development, a slow burn of a film, and the terrifying moments are just dropped in your lap.

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Billy C

11/01/2023

Excellent supernatural horror! Tightly wound and credible the whole way through. Eerie and thoughtful with a dark mood. Some excellent scares. This is classic horror.

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Farah R

@Farah 10/13/2023

An outstanding period drama for a TV production, The Woman in Black is a great film, albeit not a faithful adaptation of Susan Hill's novel.

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DanTheMan 2

08/18/2023

While certainly of its age, Nigel Kneale's adaptation of The Woman in Black brings director Herbert Wise's use of atmosphere to a great-looking period drama. What makes this film so unnerving is its fearlessness in showing the antagonist in daylight and the lack of reasoning or definitions regarding the ghost's capabilities. Making excellent use of misty tidal islands and a consistently disturbing tone even in moments of calm, The Woman in Black has moments that will freeze your bones rigid amidst a spine-tingling slow pace. Unavailable for decades due to a rights depute, it further cemented its appeal to me as a lost classic with that ending which had my blood run cold.

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Brad P

02/28/2023

Less is more in Herbert Wise and Nigel Kneale's legendary adaptation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black. A slow atmospheric build yields scares reminiscent of those from the short stories which began the genre but which are rarely successfully adapted to film.

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Thom G

02/15/2023

While horror fans may be disappointed by the meager use of horror thrills, the few creepy moments are successful and even though the main thrill element is repeated over and over, it can still manage to leave the viewer feeling uneasy. More generally, the execution and acting are good.

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Herbert Wise

Director

Adrian Rawlins

Arthur Kidd

Pauline Moran

Woman in Black

Bernard Hepton

Sam Toovey

David Daker

Josiah Freston

David Ryall

Sweetman

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Synopsis

Coastal English villagers warn an estate settler (Adrian Rawlins) about an old dark house; then he sees why.

Director: Herbert Wise
Producer: Chris Burt
Screenwriter: Susan Hill, Nigel Kneale
Production Co: Central Independent Television, Central Films
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Runtime: 1h 43m

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