This movie The Woman in Black The Window, adapted from A.J. Finn’s 2018 novel of the same name, has an obvious Hitchcockian feel: an agoraphobic woman believes she saw someone commit murder nearby; director Joe Wright (Atonement) does his part by drawing elements from Vertigo and Psycho into this production.
Top-class performers such as Adams, Gary Oldman and Julianne Moore help lend this floridly preposterous thriller an aura of prestige. Unfortunately their efforts can’t make up for its disappointing characters and awkward conclusion.
Starring Amy Adams
James Watkins knows how to create suspense with minimal effects – such as ghostly music boxes or an unearthly hand slapping against a window. By opting for subtler shocks like sudden window screams from upstairs windows, creaking noises in the house or hands reaching out of mirrors. Even without fully developed backstories or fully fleshed-out characters in his movie. James also avoids overdramatized jump scares by opting for subtle ones – screams from upstairs windows above or an unexpected hand reaching out of mirror.
Amy Adams stars as Anna Fox, an introverted woman with agoraphobia who becomes obsessed with her new neighbors and their activities. Psychiatric consultations with Dr. Letts (Anthony Mackie) quickly become cat-and-mouse games as Anna suspects them of involvement in murder plot. Also featured are Gary Oldman and Julianne Moore for good measure.
Psychological thriller Adapting AJ Finn’s 2018 bestseller, this psychological thriller boasts an A-list cast including Adams (in recent months he hasn’t made many notable roles). Who’s had some form of an acting slump following Hillbilly Elegy and Sharp Objects roles. Like Rear Window/Psycho, this modern day version has plenty of twists and reveals along with some truly tense moments. Unfortunately though the pace can slow at times with some contrived plot points; additionally there’s also quite an abrupt ending; nonetheless it still merits watching!
Directed by Joe Wright
The Woman in Black The Window defies expectations by starting off its narrative with humor. Audiences delightedly laughed during a scene in which Arthur Kipps hires “The Actor” to read out loud his lengthy manuscript and that served as an effective introduction into what lies ahead in terms of horrors.
The film itself is an intriguing thriller with plenty of unexpected turns and surprises, yet fails to deliver on its promises. The plot is predictable and performances lack excellence – though there were a few creepy scenes and moments of suspense here and there, Overall this movie was rather dull and disinteresting.
Joe Wright has shown himself to be an adept visual playwright. The widescreen images in his previous literary adaptations, like Atonement and Under the Volcano, work like Brechtian distancing to bring stories alive onscreen. In The Woman in Black his use of baroque theatricality feels more like an attempt at disguising an uninspired screenplay.
Luckily, The Woman in Black also boasts some positives that make up its total experience. The production design is captivating and there are plenty of dark over-the-shoulder shots that keep audiences on edge. Also notable is the piercing shriek of an apparition whose presence adds chills. Overall, The Woman in Black relies more heavily on atmosphere and character development to generate its scares rather than shock editing and gore to generate its terror.
Wright has assembled an excellent cast, only for them all to waste their talents in service of a lackluster film. Adams shines as Anna; her performance stands out as the highlight. But Gary Oldman and Julianne Moore remain underutilized, particularly Moore who wastes her talents with such an uninspired script.
Written by AJ Finn
Even with its dark, brooding atmosphere, The Woman in Black (The Window Movie Review) opens with an amusing bit of humor despite its dark atmosphere. But this is only scratching the surface; as the story progresses it delves further into psychological horror. Based on AJ Finn’s novel with a great cast including Joe Wright (Atonement and Darkest Hour) knowing exactly how to build tension using sparing gore while using atmospheric trickery instead to keep audiences on edge.
Amy Adams delivers an outstanding performance as Amy, a widowed author who spends most of her time surrounded by darkness and alcohol. Her ability to create chilling scenes that other thrillers often miss makes this film all the more engaging; its climax leaves viewers unnerved by its surprising ending.
Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps gives an exceptional performance. His eccentric behavior makes his character even more believable, and is joined by an all-star supporting cast that includes Oscar winner Gary Oldman as well as a young newcomer nominated for an Academy Award.
The Woman in Black is an atmospheric period ghost story reminiscent of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, with its cobweb-covered walls, velvet curtains and oil portraits of grim ancestors all conjuring images that conjure fearful images reminiscent of Henry James’ classic ghost stories from this period. Cobwebs, velvet curtains and portraits of harsh relatives only serve to heighten its unease – while its moaning past figures serve only to represent our protagonist’s internal turmoil rather than actual physical danger – while its use of Gothic horror makes an impressive film without recourse to cheap jump-scares or jump scares from postmillennial slasher films that has since risen so fast that audiences have become used to seeing postmillennial slasher classics! Radcliffe in particular is fantastic in carrying such films without resorting to jump scares alone.
Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh
Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t impress as a grieving lawyer in this creaky haunted-house tale that’s full of atmosphere but falls flat when it comes to frightening moments. For every legitimate scare there are multiple false ones and ineffectual ones as well; and The Woman in Black herself seems more like an incomplete script girl rather than her original character from either book or film.
Director James Watkins understands that overediting can undermine fear. Instead of overwhelming his audience with too many dark over-the-shoulder shots of nothing happening, he let’s them watch long, unblinking takes in which nothing happens at all, until their imagination provides what was previously missing from each scene – an essential component of effective horror movies, yet many recent releases fail to do this properly.
Eel Marsh House exterior shots were captured at Cotterstock Hall near Oundle in central England, while Halton Gill north of Settle was chosen for the fictional Nine Lives Causeway leading up to it. Ghostly children’s music boxes and an ominous score added a sense of foreboding while lighting design further contributed by creating an oppressive environment.
Radcliffe and Moore do their best, yet The Woman in Black feels too derivative. The Woman in Black borrows heavily from other films; her terrifying shrieks harken back to The Ring while Arthur attempts to appease her by returning her corpse back into its grave is lifted straight from The Grudge.
This movie does have its moments. The final scene, when Anna sees the Woman in Black appear at her window is chilling and disturbing. And there are some good scares like when a hand sticks out from behind a wardrobe and there are screams coming from within the woods. But if you have seen or read the novel or earlier film already then there is little reason for viewing this sequel.
Rating: 3.5
Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances–including studio merger, reshoots, and global pandemic–this movie was delayed. When finally released however, it proved worth waiting; its psychological horror thriller is spooky yet dark, well acted, with plenty of twists.
Daniel Radcliffe portrays Arthur Kipps, a lawyer still reeling from the loss of both his wife and son. To gain favor at work he must travel to an isolated village in England in order to settle an estate owned by a recently deceased woman and settle her estate – this trip will enable him to show that he can get things done.
Eel Marsh House is an unsettling old mansion. The creaking and thumps, small dolls and toys coming to life. And the appearance of the Woman in Black can be terrifyingly alarming. She can take the form of dark shadows, flashed images, or appear as screaming faces in windows; all these manifestations represent powerfully malevolent beings capable of inflicting great harm upon those within its walls.
AJ Finn has updated Rear Window to fit modern times with this film. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic who cannot leave her three-story home due to a fear of leaving it, spends her days spying on the Russells from a distance until one day she witnesses something shocking. Only for no one to believe what she claims because of both alcoholism and pill abuse; then when they disprove her claims!
As Anna becomes increasingly paranoid, her past and present merge in bizarre ways. Leading the viewer to question whether Anna can be trusted or if her unpredictability indicates some form of mental illness.
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