The Woman in Black: The Nerd Appropriate Review

"... I literally screamed at a couple key points in between, so the thrill factor was certainly present."

A movie called “The Woman in Black” appeared in my Direct TV queue the other day and because of my unnatural obsession with all things paranormal, there was little I could do to combat its pull. Now, before you get all “OMG, I can’t believe you didn’t know about it” or “Ugh, isn’t that the one with Harry Potter not being Harry Potter” on me, hear me out. This film was quite good. Yes, it can be difficult to see Daniel Radcliffe as anything other than the brooding kid with glasses and an owl, but the way the movie progressed from first conflict to denouement was outstanding. I literally screamed at a couple key points in between, so the thrill factor was certainly present.

“The Woman in Black” takes place during the Edwardian Era (or turn-of-the-century) in rural England. The story follows a young solicitor (Harr—Daniel Radcliffe) as he is charged with investigating the will and estate of a deceased client of the firm. Suspicious villagers, eerie weather and deathly intrigue abound as he embarks on the journey to the very creepy Eel Marsh House. Making this manor even scarier is its accessibility; entrance and exit depends on the tides. The road leading to (and from) the house is underwater more often than not.

Here’s the synopsis via IMDB 

A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

Don’t you just love how an entire plot can be wrapped up in one sentence or logline?  To most writers, that part can be brutally difficult. It really is an art – the art of attractive summarization.

But I digress, “The Woman in Black” sort of reminds me of “The Others.” If you haven’t seen that masterpiece we can never be friends. There are several plot twists and secrets to be uncovered as well as spooky lanterns and an old mansion. Of course, the major similarity is dead people on quest. I’m not telling you what the quest is mind you, just know it is different than “The Others.”

So, download, rent, borrow or buy this movie. I promise you will enjoy it. Actually, since this will most likely be one of many movie reviews, let’s establish a scoring system, shall we?

I give “The Woman in Black” 8 of 10 tequila shots. Stars are over-used and since both tomatoes and popcorn are taken, I think I’ll go with something I know a lot about. Tequila.

Also, it appears that “The Woman in Black” was adapted from a book of the same name by author Susan Hill. Consider it added to my summer reading list. If you’re looking for something else to read, be sure to check out my review of God’s Demon.

Writer. Snowboarder. Video game proselytizer. All-around nerd and animal lover. During the day, you can find Hilary working as a marketing director for an international software company and at night (where is this going?), she squeezes in as much time as possible with her Xbox or Kindle. If you feel so inclined from reading this awkward description to find out more about her, go here: www.hilaryshapiro.com or @hilaryheskett  Oh, and she is Gunny from Crabcat!