karohemd | [Films] The Woman in Black

I've been looking forward to seeing this new Hammer film since it was first announced and the wait was well worth it. It is very atmospheric and creepy and made even me jump a couple of times (although it was more the guy next to me who jumped all the time and made me jump because he was physically close...). Dan Radcliffe is rather good as the lead (a young lawyer sent to a remote house to tie up the effects of the deceased owners) who meets a superstitious group of villagers who all try to get rid of him or at least prevent him from going to the house. He of course gets his way (not least with the help to a local rich guy (he has the only car in the area) and soon starts uncovering the sinister history of the house and area.
Production values are also top notch and both the interiors and all the props are lovingly done.
Of course it's full of the usual tropes and scares and isn't really an original idea, either, but that's not what counts. What counts is that I'm kept at the edge of my seat and feel for the characters. The effects are simple but effective and well shot (moving shadows, faces appearing at windows, scary dolls etc.).
Well done, Hammer, here's hoping for more of this kind of film to come from them.