“The Woman in Black” stars Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer and single dad struggling to keep his job. Radcliffe's performance is excellent; he manages to separate himself from his Harry Potter character, and displays an astounding spectrum of acting diversity. Arthur is given a last chance to complete an assignment, which takes him to a remote village and a supposedly haunted house.

This film is a brilliant exploration into fear itself. From the very beginning, slow and dramatic piano music sets an eerie tone. The opening scene begins with the suicide of three young girls, stunning the viewer into paying attention. Though the tragedy initially appears to have no relevance, as the mystery unravels, the viewer begins to see links between certain









































strange and disturbing occurrences.

The movie is laden with mystery, which left me curious and engaged. This film's incredible ability to jolt and surprise has not been seen since the classic “The Exorcist.” No character is without a mysterious past and a frightening persona. As the mysteries of each character begin to come together, Arthur is haunted by random appearances of a woman cloaked in black. As if this is not enough, he stumbles upon documents that help him piece together the disturbing past of the house where he is working.

This film is a genius combination of slow anticipation, haunting visuals, and startling surprises. Directer James Watkins doesn't use cheap tricks for shock value, but instead stays true to the power of wonderment. I found myself haunted by the story, which prompted me to watch it again.

“The Woman in Black” is the most pleasing cinematic experience I've had in years. It breaks the cycle of slashers and blood-and-guts films, and takes a more haunting route that may have single-handedly revived the genre of horror.

The only drawback is that with a 94 minute run time, the film is very short. “The Woman in Black” is ingenious and astonishingly frightening – a definite must-see for any true horror fan.