Review: 'The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death' starring Phoebe Fox and Jeremy Irvine

What is it that anybody remembers about 2012's gothic-style horror, The Woman in Black? First and foremost was star Daniel Radcliffe, whose first post-Harry Potter venture was a dark change-of-pace that likely played a big role in the film's surprising $120M success. Much was also made of it as a comeback for venerable old horror studio, Hammer Film, and it definitely was. That kind of cash influx can't be tossed aside so easily, even if it means providing a lousy, derivative sequel like The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, that features none of the scares, allegory, or star power that made the original work.

It sucks to boil a film down to simply being a cash grab, but this is one case where it applies perfectly. There was nothing about the original movie that screamed for a follow-up; the story of Radcliffe's character and the grief-inspired haunting he underwent at the dreaded Eel Marsh House was over and done with. But apparently the vengeful spirit was not satisfied and has settled for less compelling subjects to terrorize this time around, and less compelling ways to terrorize them. 

Ditching the Edwardian digs of the last story, this one takes us to 1941 during the Blitz, as schoolteachers Eve (Phoebe Fox, plucky and appropriately mortified) and ol' battleax Jean (Helen McCrory) evacuate a bunch of kids to the Eel Marsh House. Not the wisest course of action, and it should have been apparent given the ominously foggy, marshy, and crucifix-heavy path they took getting there. Eve is the heroine of this story, but she's got a past riddled with guilt over some mysterious transgression. That's something the woman in black can feed on, using it to spook not only Eve but the children. Following all of the typical horror tricks, there's one child who is abnormally troubled and creepy. He also takes a liking to a certain hideously ugly doll left in the Eel Marsh House. Of course it's possessed, and soon people start dying. The bland Jeremy Irvine plays a handsome, seemingly-roguish fighter pilot who falls for Eve. He's also got some guilt to contend with, but he's mainly there as a chemistry-free romantic partner for Eve. 

BAFTA-nominated director Tom Harper takes over behind the camera, and every image comes shrouded in a thick haze; there's haunting going on before the haunting actually goes on. The film looks good, in particular the early images of the London bombings, and Harper knows how strike up a mood of impending dread. But what's the point if there's no payoff? Sticking to bland genre formula is all the screenplay offers, giving Harper little to work with but lame jump-scares, evil dolls in creaky playrooms, and devilish faces reflected in dirty mirrors. Fox makes for a lovely and very plucky lead but she's left with little to do but wander around in the fog looking mortified.The last film worked well as an allegory for grief, helped in part by Radcliffe's expressive performance, but the sequel's guilt-heavy focus is considerably less intricate.  It seems to have been left to flounder in the bog of Eel Marsh House in favor of cheap frights.  The scariest thing about The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death is that it leaves the door open for a sequel. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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New Trailer and Images for 'The Woman in Black: Angel of Death'

What better way to begin the new year than with a good scare? A couple of years ago The Woman in Black opened on a February, typically fertile ground for inexpensive horrors, and blew away expectations with $127M. But will the sequel, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, keep up the pace when it kicks off 2015?

A new trailer for the spooky horror sequel has been released, and this one takes a slightly different tract than the first. Daniel Radcliffe is out, replaced by Jeremy Irvine (Railway Man), Phoebe Fox, and Helen McCrory in a story set during WWII. Eel Marsh House becomes a haunted sanctuary to schoolteachers and their students fleeing the air raids.

Directed by Tom Harper, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death opens January 2nd 2015.


The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death Official Trailer #2 (2015) - Jeremy Irvine Horror Movie HD by ViralToday

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First Teaser for 'The Woman in Black: Angel of Death'

When Hammer Films' horror The Woman in Black scored $127M in 2012 much of the credit was given to the star power of Daniel Radcliffe in his first major post-Harry Potter role. Certainly the curiosity of seeing him do something different was a factor, but the famous British studio is hoping the scares and ominous tone were enough to lure audiences back for a Radcliffe-free sequel, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.

The first teaser for the film has been released and it doesn't reveal anything about the plot, but it establishes that incoming director Tom Harper is sticking with the dreary atmosphere from before. Jeremy Irvine and Helen McCrory star in the gothic ghost story which is set during WWII, forty years after the first film. Here's the official synopsis:

England, 1941. With London in the midst of the blitz, two teachers evacuate a group of schoolchildren to the abandoned Eel Marsh House. Seeking safety from the bombs in the remote coastal location, the group instead find themselves facing an evil far more frightening when their arrival awakens the Woman in Black.

The Woman in Black: Angel of Death hits the U.K. in February but has yet to gain a U.S. date. 

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