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The Woman in Black

Play trailer Poster for The Woman in Black 1989 1h 43m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Coastal English villagers warn an estate settler (Adrian Rawlins) about an old dark house; then he sees why.

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The Woman in Black

Critics Reviews

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Grant Watson Fiction Machine 3d
8/10
While the rest of this 1989 made-for-TV film is an effectively played and composed period ghost story, it is in individual moments that it transcends its overall production and becomes something enormously effective. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 02/18/2021
4/5
...lives up to its reputation as a lost classic... Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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. See more 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. See more 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. See more 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. See more 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. See more 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. See more Read all reviews
The Woman in Black

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Cast & Crew

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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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The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black (1989) View more photos

Movie Info

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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