Reviewed by Jesse Miller
MoreHorror.com
Synopsis: 40 years after the first haunting at Eel Marsh House, a group of children evacuated from WWII London arrive, awakening the house’s darkest inhabitant.
Director: Tom Harper
Writer: Jon Croker
Actors: Helen McCrory, Phoebe Fox.
When I heard The Woman in Black: Angel of Death was being made, I was instantly curious. How could you continue this particular story while managing to keep the scares fresh and the story exciting? There’s always the case that the sequel wouldn’t live up to the original, yeah, but I was just curious as to where they would take this tormented lady in black.
Well, what I got left me with a shrug — The Woman in Black 2 has terrific cinematography, striking set design and solid acting from all involved – and even the setting and premise of this story show promise – but unfortunately, this film doesn’t deliver on that promise.
The problem with this sequel is that it’s by all means a competently made flick and it definitely excels in terms of atmosphere and acting, it’s just doesn’t do anything particularly scary or interesting. The backdrop of the London Blitz and how this affects the characters is the most interesting about it but the film doesn’t really take advantage of this and use it to accentuate the horror.
Rather than take the ghost story into a territory where I can feel the urgency and fear, the film prefers to recycle old horror clichés and scares from the original film. Really though, the scariest thing in this film is the atmosphere of that old house and its design, not the vengeful spirit that haunts those wall.
I want to talk about the acting, because I think these guys are really people to look out for. Phoebe Fox, as the main school teacher Eve, is particularly good and deserves more than what the script is giving her, though she does get to chew on something a little meaty in her character’s back story. Also a highlight is Jeremy Irvine as Harry, a war veteran with demons of his own. Irvine gets to shine in a couple of scenes that see his character front and center, proving to be a capable leading man. Oaklee Pendergast, as the main child Edward, delivers a rousing performance – and this is a thing worth writing about as his character spends most of the film quiet as he his traumatized by the effects of the war.
So what you’ve got here is a great looking film and a wonderful cast – both adult and children alike – that flesh out the characters but THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 unfortunately is a by the numbers feature that starts off strong but loses steam. It does what it says on the tin though – it just so happens that these things within are lackluster and a missed opportunity.
SOURCE: More Horror – Read entire story here.