Day 2: The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2015)

Day 2: The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2015)


Starring: Phoebe Fox, Helen McCrory
Directed by: Tom Harper
Rotten Tomatoes: 23%
Verdict: 2.2

Well, this should be Foxcatcher, but I think you'll find I haven't broken any rules, yet. It's still a new film to me and so far I'm making good time. Luckily I don't have much to say about this one so I can move right onto the film I should be watching today!

The Woman In Black 2 is the seventh film in the revival one of Britain's most well know film brands, Hammer Horror. The film follows two school teachers who accompany a group of evacuees to escape the London Blitz. They find residence, regrettably, in the derelict Eel Marsh House. Phoebe Fox plays the youngest of the two teachers, Ms. Parkins, who discovers that the woman in black is up to her old tricks again, bumping off children, one by one.

This film was clearly made after the success of the first instalment starring Daniel Radcliffe, taking $127m in the international box office off of a modest £15m budget. But, after lower than expected earnings in the US box this time around, time will tell to see if The Woman in Black can successfully transition to franchise status.

This film has a few redeeming qualities. For a start, the thing I loved about the first one, was the layout of the house and the way it was shot, along with the eerie back story that made the woman a dark and angry antagonist. These were still there, and thanks to the attention to lighting and technical detail, Eel Marsh House lives on in all it's 'glory', just as scary as the last one. 

However, this film was sadly let down was the poor story, that just reeked of being a corporate approved cashier's cheque as opposed to a story that even remotely needed telling. I found myself bored in the middle as there was nothing really happening in the film whatsoever. Every event just seemed to be a build up to the next need to go into a dark cellar or abandoned village where she would be waiting around the corner ready to shit us up. Perhaps they should have spent all the money they had previously allocated for Radcliffe's salary on a better screenwriter.

As usual, the same old clichés that made me angry, not scared, after every predictable jump scare persisted just like in any disappointing horror film. So the very least I can recommend that if you have a group of teenagers to take to the cinema for a fun night out, at least it will give them some jumps. Sadly, that's about it. 

As somebody who really wants to see this ancient stalwart of British cinema succeed in their relaunch and make the Woman in Black a successful franchise, all I can say in summary is that people who loved the first film may find value in this sequel, even just to revisit Eel Marsh House. So I'll let you all know when it's finally on Netflix. As for me, I'm hoping it's going to be a better number 3. If there is one at all.

Thanks for reading.

William.

Day 3: Amelie (2001)