The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death
Starring Phoebe Fox, Jeremy Irvine
Directed by Tom Harper
Gothic horror meets terrifying haunted house in the sequel to The Woman in Black. Set in the Second World War, 40 years after the events of the first film and with Daniel Radcliffe nowhere in sight, Angel of Death capitalizes on building atmospheric dread with plenty of inevitable jump scares but is largely too familiar to create any sort of legacy.
A group of orphans is transported from war torn London to the eerie English countryside manor known as Eel Marsh House, which just happens to be the same fright-inducing home from the first film. A sinister inhabitant is soon awakened and caretakers Eve (Fox) and Jean (Harry Potter’s Helen McCrory), along with pilot Harry (War Horse’s Jeremy Irvine), must protect the kids from the horrors that threaten them all.
The film not only takes a page from its predecessor in terms of plot and aesthetic, but also borrows heavily from movies like The Others and Rebecca Hall’s underrated The Awakening.
The problem is, once the story builds to a tension-filled finale, the spooky journey we’ve taken as an audience begins to feel a bit repetitive, lacking in any clever reveals or twists, elements that horror movies generally strive for.
Yet, Angel of Death is not without merit; Fox and McCrory are strong in their respective roles and Irvine sheds his former boyish charm while teasing some future leading man potential. Harper’s direction is confident and he captures the mood well but this is one scary bedtime story we’ve read many times before.
