Cast: Phoebe Fox, Jeremy Irvine, Helen McCrory, Oaklee Pendergast, Adrian Rawlings and Leanne Best as the Woman in Black.
Director: Tom Harper
Writers: Jon Croker (screenplay), Susan Hill (original novel)
Genre: Drama / Horror / Thriller
London, World War II, the year 1940. Nazi Germany had started its strategic bombing raid over the UK and the Capital was feeling the full devastating effect of the Blitz. Two schoolteachers Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox) and Jean Hogg (Helen McCrory, Narcissa Malfoy in the last three Harry Potter movies.) are charged with escorting a group of evacuees to the North of England. This cross-country Journey should be taking the children to safety but the two teachers were unaware of the tragedy that occurred 40 years ago in Crythin Gifford and in particular the hauntings in Eel Marsh House which is their final destination.
Oaklee Pendergast (Edward)
Ironically the children were supposed to be safe, far away from London but their presence only awakened the Woman in Black, Angel of Death.
The original ghostly horror novel, Woman in Black was written by Susan Hill and published in 1983. The book was a huge success and became a TV film in 1989. In the same year a stage adaptation made its way to the Fortune Theatre in the West End and is now the second longest running play in London after The Mousetrap. It was only a matter of time until Hollywood came knocking and the story became a movie in 2012 with Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe playing the lead. Susan Hill also penned this sequel published in 2013 and the screenplay was adapted by Jon Croker a writer and story editor who cut his film teeth as assistant on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). Therefore my expectations were quite high. I thought the concept was very good using the Second World War as a backdrop. Our protagonist Eve also had some male help (and romantic interest) in the form of RAF officer Harry (Jeremy Irvine, War Horse) who was acting as a caretaker for a local airfield close to the Eel Marshes.
Jeremy Irvine (Harry) and Phoebe Fox (Eve)
Unfortunately, there were no surprises in this follow up film. The shocks and scares appeared where you would expect them to be and it all seemed very familiar. In this day and age of exceptionally well produced television dramas you really have to break the boundaries when putting your story on the big screen. The film wasn’t that bad, it was actually OK. But it did put me in mind of the recent TV adaptation of the 2006 supernatural novel The Secret of Crickley Hall written by the late great British Horror novelist James Herbert. The story follows a female protagonist, another Eve (Suranne Jones) who moves from London with her husband Gabe (Tom Ellis) and their three children to start a new life in an old spooky Manor House in the country. The house is haunted by orphaned evacuees from 1943 London who all died in suspicious circumstances.
Also I’m afraid I was more scarred by the 2005 Doctor Who episode called The Empty Child, which I like to call the “Are you my Mummy?” episode. It featured the Christopher Eccleston Doctor (who I wish had made more series) and Billy Piper’s Rose Tyler who are confronted by scary looking children whose faces have metamorphosed into rubber gasmasks during the Blitz over London. Our heroes are also helped by an RAF officer but this one was called Jack Harkness.
Back to TWIB2, Hammersmith born actress Phoebe Fox carries the film well and you do really care about her character Eve and her battle against The Woman in Black to save the helpless children. Helen McCrory also does a good job as the more sceptical of the two women. So if ghost stories are your favourite genre then by all means go and see this movie. It’s well made and director Tom Harper has captured the era and spooky atmosphere and keeps the running time to a decent 98 minutes but I’m afraid I just wanted a bit more out of this film.
As a Movie Critic I shouldn’t say this but if you really want to be scared stiff then I urge you to go and see the play of The Woman in Black still playing at the Fortune Theatre, it’s an experience you will never forget!
Foker On Film three out of five stars.
In cinemas on New Year’s Day.
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