My favourite horror films fall into one of two categories: dark thrillers that slowly build to an intentional satisfying climax, and cliched, low-budget b-movies that inspire unintentional laughter throughout. In between these two ends of the horror spectrum lies The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, a film that suffers from the most fatal flaw a film can have, it’s just plain boring.
Released in 2014, the film is a sequel to the 2012 film The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe. Set during World War 2, some 40 years after the events of the first film, Angel of Death centres around teacher Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox) who is charged with evacuating her students from London to Eel Marsh House, an old manor on an isolated island. While travelling to their refuge by train, Eve encounters Harry (Jeremy Irvine), a charming pilot, stationed at an airfield nearby who promises to visit her on the island.
Despite the manor’s promise of being a safe sanctuary from the horrific bombings happening in London, the reality proves to be quite different. Eve and the school’s headmistress (played by Helen McCrory) experience strange events in the manor that cannot be explained. Concerned for the safety of the children in their charge, they try to make sense of what’s happening and unravel the evil mystery of the Eel Marsh House with the help of Harry, who has a secret of his own.
Much of the film follows its characters exploring the darkened hallways of the manor and the gloomy marshland that surrounds it. There are several attempts at jump scares with quick glimpses of the mysterious woman in black and other ghosts that simply didn’t work. The style and setting of the film continually reminded me of the 2001 film, The Others starring Nicole Kidman. Also set on an isolated island manor during the war, The Others succeeded where this film failed, rewarding its audience for its patience following a slow building story with a shocking payoff at the end. Sadly, there was no reward for those who stuck with this film to its conclusion.
The gloomy landscape and foreboding mood it creates is one of the most effective aspects of the film. One of the more recent films released by Hammer Film Productions after its relaunch in 2008, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is an admirable film when it comes to cinematography and production quality. It does an admirable job replicating the gothic feel of early Hammer films using modern film techniques and it’s clear that this was not a low budget project.
Despite lacking the star power that Daniel Radcliffe brought to its predecessor, the film’s cast delivers admirable performances. Unfortunately, the lack of an interesting storyline makes it difficult for any compelling characters to emerge and they simply blend in with the dull landscape that surrounds them.
The Woman in Black: Angel of Death’s beautifully bleak scenery and dark tone initially made me hopeful that it would be a slow burner leading to a climactic payoff. Instead, it just slowly fizzled out. The film’s ending turned into a ho-hum cliche that left me wondering why I had invested the last hour and half of my life in it. I have been impressed by other recent Hammer releases that I previously reviewed such as The Lodge (2019) , and Wake Wood (2009). Both films provided more compelling stories with slow-building suspense which lead me to have higher expectations for this film.
If you enjoy a good period ghost story, I’d recommend watching (or rewatching) The Others over this film or checking out the original The Woman in Black which was a more well rounded entry in the series, providing a dose of suspense along with atmosphere. The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is by no means a terrible film, but it’s also neither good nor “so bad it’s good” which condemns it to the purgatory of mediocrity in-between.
If you want to check it out (or require a good sleep aid), The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is currently available to stream on Prime Video.
This post is my contribution to the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon hosted by Cinematic Catharsis & RealweegieMidget Reviews. Look for another contribution from my maniacal partner in crime, here.
