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THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)Movie Reviews
Gothic thriller about a young lawyer who discovers that the ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the inhabitants of a remote village. Cast:Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Shaun DooleyDirector:James WatkinsRelease Date:February 3, 2012DVD Release:May 22, 2012From:CBS FilmsRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 0 min
The Woman in Black (2012) played to good reviews. • Dana Stevens wrote for Slate, "All I know is, when I had to walk down a dark hallway at home the night I came back from seeing it? Reader, I ran." • And Richard Corliss wrote in Time, "...sumptuously scary... a welcome addition to the old canon... there's nothing so appealing as a well-preserved corpse." More Reviews Below...
The Woman in Black (2012) Positive Reviews (45 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: EXCELLENT "...sumptuously scary... a welcome addition to the old canon; renouncing innovation, embracing anachronism... there's nothing so appealing as a well-preserved corpse."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,146 words, 02/03/12
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...very nearly suffocates under the mounting weight of its gothic kitsch... nevertheless summons ornately crafted, old-fashioned suspense."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 634 words, 02/02/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...old-fashioned, tastefully constrained... Radcliffe delivers nicely, conveying a lot in a performance that requires an excessive amount of silent tiptoeing."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 385 words, 02/10/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...doesn't break new ground, but in its suggestions of fine film ghost stories, from 'The Innocents' to 'The Others' and 'The Orphanage,' it works you over with riveting restraint."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 280 words, 02/03/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...moody... well-paced for maximum thrills and chills.... a tasteful, old-school frightener, emphasizing suspense and foreboding over blood and guts."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 02/03/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Not since young Hutter arrived at Orlok's castle in 'Nosferatu' has a journey to a dreaded house been more fearsome... The house is a masterpiece of production..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 02/02/12
Kat Murphy, MSN Movies: WEAK(cg) "...a slog through a dismal slough, jolted every ten minutes or so by jack-in-the-box scares... ultimately little more than a herky-jerky perpetual-motion scare machine."(See all of Kat Murphy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 730 words, 02/02/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "A creaking, shrieking haunted-house amusement... Something wicked does come, of course, slowly and at times with unsettling effectiveness..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 02/03/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...old-fashioned... Though 'Woman' never rises above its status as a traditional genre thriller, that's perfectly fine. It was made with intelligence and commitment..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 02/03/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a good, old-fashioned ghost yarn of the Victorian Gothic persuasion.... If the story is laid out none too subtly, its straightforward purity is, finally, its greatest strength."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 605 words, 02/03/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...strong on creepy atmosphere but woefully deficient in the scare department. It's also packed with horror film clichés from beginning to end."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 380 words, 02/03/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...amps up the scares without turning them into something completely stupid.... The work Radcliffe does here is primarily reactive. It's also quite good."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 440 words, 02/03/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...scores a few jump-worthy scares, but Radcliffe's mild reaction -- vague concern mixed with slight dismay -- consistently lowers the voltage."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 02/03/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "The film is a ghost of ghost stories past.... There is one nice pop-up scare against a dozen or so false, ineffectual ones -- a poor percentage."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 580 words, 02/06/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Not since young Hutter arrived at Orlok's castle in 'Nosferatu' has a journey to a dreaded house been more fearsome... The house is a masterpiece of production..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 02/02/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Radcliffe gives a moving portrayal of grief.... The plot is subordinate to lengthy scenes of hollow-eyed Arthur wandering in silence through Drablow's manor..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 02/08/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "What begins as something akin to Robert Wise's 'The Haunting' becomes something more like James Wan's recent 'Insidious,' which makes it a multi-generational horror."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 601 words, 02/03/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a film that serves its purpose. It proves that, although 'Harry Potter' is finished, Daniel Radcliffe may still have a future on the dark side."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 597 words, 02/03/12
Josep Parera, La Opinion: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...un trabajo simplemente extraordinario... una muestra (casi) magistral de un cine que en ocasiones parece que ya no se sabe hacer."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 490 words, 02/03/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...packs some thoughtful character work in between its jump scares.... has a stateliness and gravity that recall grand ghost stories of decades past..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 02/02/12
Tom Horgen, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a skillful haunted-house film that will soon evaporate from your memory like the ghostly specter of its title."(See all of Tom Horgen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 02/03/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There is nothing especially original about 'The Woman in Black'... But that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable on its own terms."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 02/03/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "Beautifully set-designed and quietly well-acted... a predictable but enjoyable horrorfest, until a forced and slightly disappointing end."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 02/03/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...mostly works its magic effectively, in little jolts of fear found in shadows and sudden glimpses, leaving us jumpy and nervous about things that go bump in the night."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 02/03/12
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "...eventually undermined by the film's increasing reliance on shock-scares, in which something suddenly and noisily jumps into the frame, over and over and over."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 265 words, 02/03/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There's little that's new, revealing or stylish about this basic-black horror story, but if you've got a Goth sensibility, it might suit you."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 295 words, 02/03/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: FAIR(cg) "...the movie's most visible cobwebs are found in Jane Goldman's screenplay... The movie creaks as badly as the mansion's floorboards."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 02/02/12
Adam Graham, Detroit News: FAIR(cg) "...your standard-issue ghost story, gussied up in period garb to make it look like a prestige picture.... it utilizes every tired, hackneyed horror cliché in the book..."(See all of Adam Graham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 301 words, 02/03/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "In his first starring role post-Harry Potter, Radcliffe must carry the movie with little dialogue and practically nothing to play other than fear..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 647 words, 02/03/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Radcliffe gives a moving portrayal of grief.... The plot is subordinate to lengthy scenes of hollow-eyed Arthur wandering in silence through Drablow's manor..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 02/08/12
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...may not elicit screams from everyone that goes to see it, but it is guaranteed to send chills down the spine of even the bravest viewer."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 563 words, 02/03/12
Alexandra Cavallo, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...shows potential with its atmospheric spookiness, but falters when the scares fail to materialize. Radcliffe looks as confused as he does fearful."(See all of Alexandra Cavallo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 150 words, 02/02/12
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "Director James Watkins knows what to do with Radcliffe, which is very little: He lets this fine young actor roam through the movie as if he were floating on a cloud..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 927 words, 02/02/12
Ed Gonzalez, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...old hat... For every subdued touch, such as a dead woman's becalmed voiceover, the film trips over a stock concession to genre cliché..."(See all of Ed Gonzalez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 415 words, 02/01/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...packs some thoughtful character work in between its jump scares.... has a stateliness and gravity that recall grand ghost stories of decades past..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 02/02/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: MODERATE(cg) "...few jump-out-of-your-seat startles and a running motif about children doing something very terribly unnatural don't add up to much."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 02/10/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "The landscape is dire, the architecture is haunted, children disappear by the dozens and antique toys inexplicably spark to life.... Mr. Radcliffe doesn't..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 02/03/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "A creaking, shrieking haunted-house amusement... Something wicked does come, of course, slowly and at times with unsettling effectiveness..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 02/03/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a good, old-fashioned ghost yarn of the Victorian Gothic persuasion.... If the story is laid out none too subtly, its straightforward purity is, finally, its greatest strength."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 605 words, 02/03/12
Leslie Felperin, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Radcliffe still seems too puppyish to convince as a parent himself. Thankfully, the well-chosen supporting cast is on hand to lend ballast..."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,041 words, 01/25/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Director James Watkins ('Eden Lake') shows he well knows what he's doing; the genre has certain requirements and he honors them, with sincerity and style."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 947 words, 02/03/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a good, old-fashioned ghost yarn of the Victorian Gothic persuasion.... If the story is laid out none too subtly, its straightforward purity is, finally, its greatest strength."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 605 words, 02/03/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "...a solid but not-so-special piece of Hammeresque craftsmanship. It does not disappoint much, nor does it exceed any reasonable expectations."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 02/01/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "A creaking, shrieking haunted-house amusement... Something wicked does come, of course, slowly and at times with unsettling effectiveness..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 02/03/12
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "The landscape is dire, the architecture is haunted, children disappear by the dozens and antique toys inexplicably spark to life.... Mr. Radcliffe doesn't..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 02/03/12
15.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Woman in Black (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Woman in Black (2012) (45 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Woman in Black (2012)'s reviews cover 74.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,817 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 529 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Woman in Black (2012) Coverage, Volume & Length (45 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 8.8 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Woman in Black (2012)'s reviews on average broke 8.8 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Woman in Black (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Woman in Black (2012) (45 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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