The Woman in Black 2: An Angel of Death – Movie Review
First, I’ll be honest about something: I did like the first Woman in Black movie but my memory around the details of it are a little soft. I’m mentioning it because overall it didn’t matter and shouldn’t be a reason to keep you from seeing the sequel. Although the two movies share the same classic atmospheric style and some plot points – if you missed the first one you’ll follow the plot of the second one just fine.
Hammer films should be applauded for focusing on this style of film making. The Woman in Black 2 is set in the early 40s. Phoebe Fox captures the elegant ideals of the era perfectly. The entire cast beautifully harkens to the era of posh hair – both through the movie’s design and a naive charm that nearly all the characters showcase at one point or another.
It is a stark period piece that reminds us of the brutalities of war that innocents often face. It is a gorgeously composed atmospheric movie that is wrapped in deep, ominous shadows.
As a horror movie, it aims to build tension – to slowly raise the emotional tide with each frame. It does what every good movie should do – horror or otherwise – transpose the viewer into another world.
I hope that the Hammer brand continues to dominate with these ideals of classic horror in modern days – because movies like this are why so many of us fell in love with the horror genre in the first place.
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