I have a theory that gets proven every week, and it’s that the best horror movies, with a few exceptions, aren’t made in America. Sure, a few notable scary indie films slip through the cracks every decade or so (“The Blair Witch Project,” “Paranormal Activity”), but it’s very unfortunate that Hollywood is content with mass marketing rehashing the same horror movies and remaking them for any fool willing to pay ten dollars for a ticket. (of which there are millions). For every movie Hollywood remakes, the original is not only infinitely scarier, but infinitely un-American-made (“The Ring” , “Grudge”, “REC”, “Black Christmas”).
The Woman in Black, a horror film made on British television in 1989, further proves this theory. it is noted mainly for one jump scare, which has been called one of the scariest shots in horror movies to reveal the story It almost seems like that movie among the people who have seen it, they cannot bring up the “scene” without hearing it. I’ll admit that it was this aspect of the movie that intrigued me (what could possibly be so scary?), but it certainly isn’t the only thing this movie has to offer. In fact, I’d put “The Woman in Black” up there with “The Changeling” as one of the best examples of the best house horror ever made without the many clichés of that horror subgenre. The door closes randomly with no explanation, but now I have it I can say.
The story, based on the novel by Susan Hill, is simple: Adrian Rawlins plays Arthur Kidd, a lawyer for a prestigious law firm who is sent to town of Crythina to settle the estate of a lonely old woman who had recently died. According to the guidelines proposed by his boss, he should spend a week or two there to do all his necessary paperwork, then sell the house. But of course, it’s not going to be easy, or we’d have one hell of a fun horror movie.
Red flags are raised immediately upon entering Crythin: He cannot find anyone to go with him to the farm. Moreover, the townspeople were unwilling to even name the house. But perhaps the reddest flag of all: He sees a woman dressed in black, lest others refuse to look at or recognize her. I would mention all this even before setting foot in the woman’s creepy house, secluded by swamps, which blocked the only way in the deep…
As I’ve dwelled upon earlier, “The Woman in Black” succeeds largely due to its chilling at-. I can’t remember the last movie where I spent probably three quarters of the movie with sweaty palms and my heart racing. Part of it, I admit, was scary in anticipation of the famous film, but mostly it was a great sense of loneliness and fear that permeated almost every scene, including scenes where the titular character was absolutely chilling. is nowhere to be found. The end is also clear, although I probably saw it coming, but I didn’t. As for the “noble” being afraid, I will not tell you what will happen, but I will say this: I knew when he was coming, I even foretold what would happen, and he still flew from my seat. This is a sign of a really great horror movie.
All-in-all, “The Woman in Black” is as good as the hype would have you believe. It’s not a film that relies on a single scene to scare the audience, which can be indicated by the much-discussed jump scare film, but it’s filled with such an overall chilling atmosphere that I’d easily say it’s one of the scariest films ever made. . Unfortunately, it can be harder to track down, as both the VHS and DVD versions are out of print, but if you can find yourself a copy, I encourage you to pick it up. You certainly won’t be disappointed.
NOTE: I was rather disappointed to learn that the rights to this film are reportedly held by Universal. Not only does this mean that it will probably never air on television again in its home country, and it will likely never be released on DVD, but it will also be a good bet that it will be another remake in the abysmal American line. Do yourself a favor and be smart now before Hollywood crashes yet another big movie.
Rating: * * * 1/2
