The Woman in Black

"A spine-chilling ghost story"

1989 1h 40m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 147

HorrorMysteryTV Movie

Synopsis

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A lawyer travels to a small seaside town to settle the estate of a recently deceased woman, but soon becomes ensnared in something much more sinister.

“A spine-chilling ghost story”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Adrian Rawlins
Arthur Kidd
Bernard Hepton
Sam Toovey
David Daker
Josiah Freston
Pauline Moran
Woman in Black
David Ryall
Sweetman
Clare Holman
Stella Kidd
John Cater
Arnold Pepperell
John Franklyn-Robbins
Reverend Greet

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Herbert Wise
Writers: Nigel Kneale
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Herbert Wise, shot by Michael Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Rachel Portman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Laurence Méry-Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Adrian Rawlins and Bernard Hepton and David Daker carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A spine-chilling ghost story".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098672 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Herbert Wise directs. Michael Davis behind the camera. Rachel Portman scores. Laurence Méry-Clark cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Herbert Wise, shot by Michael Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Rachel Portman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Laurence Méry-Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Adrian Rawlins and Bernard Hepton and David Daker carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A spine-chilling ghost story".
7IMDB entry: tt0098672 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Davis
Original score: Rachel Portman
Editing: Laurence Méry-Clark
Production design: Jon Bunker
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Woman in Black (1989)

Also by

Herbert Wise

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-10-27
★ 8/10
Top draw TV movie spooker. The Woman in Black is directed by Herbert Wise and adapted to screenplay by Nigel Kneale from the Susan Hill novel of the same name. It stars Adrian Rawlins, Bernard Hepton, David Daker, Pauline Moran, David Ryall, Clare Holman and John Cater. Music is by Rachel Portman and cinematography by Michael Davis. When a friendless old widow dies in the seaside town of Crythin, a young solicitor is sent by his firm to settle the estate. Once their though he finds the townspeople reluctant to talk about or go near the woman's home. Even worse is that he keeps seeing a woman in black but no one will explain or even acknowledge that she exists. The play was a monster success so it was no surprise that it would be transfered to screen. Sedately paced but hugely effective as a chilling story, it's safe to say it's not one for those searching for boisterous shock and awe tactics. The setting is wonderfully Gothic in textures, and thus with the number of sightings of the titular title character, there's added sinister flavour - even in daylight! Smartly performed by the cast, this pulls the viewer in and keeps you hooked, right up to the unforgettably crushing finale. 8/10

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