Where do I start?

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2012)

This movie scared the willyknockers out of me. There are the scenes with "jump scares" but there is so much more to this film.
The melancholic and depressing town, the mysterious and paranoid residents, the story of the "Woman in Black" and how she preys on children, the rainy weather that adds an ominous effect, and the Woman in Black's house all combine to create an intense atmosphere.
The foreboding nature of the setting is relentless on your nerves as the story starts out with three little girls and doesn't let up on the tragic consequences that accompany Arthur's (Radcliffe) arrival.
Lack of music amplifies the constant feeling that something bad is going to happen at any given time. Your ears search for anything to cover up what might scream, screech, or jump out at you but there's nothing. The naked feeling is unsettling as you wait for the inevitable piano bang or drum strike, but there's nothing.
The acting is solid as Daniel Radcliffe proves he's more than just a lucky boy who was cast in Harry Potter. He really gave it his all as most of the time, it was just him in the house. The other actors were just as great and lent to a real feeling of paranoia throughout the story.
This film reminds me as to why people get creeped out by looking at old photos from the Edwardian period. There's something otherworldy about this era in time - whether it's the clothes, the expressions on people's faces, the look of it all, I'm not sure what causes the unsettling feeling. But it was pure genius to set such a dark and suspenseful tale in the middle of this already creepy time.
There were far more scary moments than I thought there would be. It doesn't rely on cheap tricks such as Arthur turning around and there's someone in front of him. This is much more subtle, but in your face. I couldn't believe how scared I was! The creepy moments were constant and hardly left me time to process the first scare before the second came up.
Altogether, I still can't watch this movie. It is genuinely one of the scariest films I have ever seen.