The Woman in Black

68/100 (95 min, 2012)
Plot: A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
Director: James Watkins
Writers: Susan Hill (novel), Jane Goldman (screenplay)
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer and Ciarán Hinds

Harry Potter and the Sullen Lady

"During afternoon tea, there's a shift in the air, a bone trembling chill that tells you she's there 

There are those who believe the whole town is cursed but the house in the marsh is by far the worst.

What she wants is unknown, but she always comes back - the spectre of darkness, the woman in black"

"The Woman in Black" went from being a novel, to being a play, to being TV movie and finally a film starring Daniel Radcliffe. 2012 version of the story is definitely the weakest one to date, but in the world where "found footage" horrors and shaky camera are what passes for horror movie, it is quite refreshing to see good old fashioned ghost story with haunted house, malicious ghost and noble hero, who is in way over his head.

Radcliffe plays a young man who lost his wife during childbirth. He has a young son, who he loves dearly - unfortunately, he also has financial problems which forces him to relocate to creepy town in order to attempt to sell property there. The problem is that ever since he arrives things do not go well - people are hostile for unknown reason, he keeps seeing weird things in the corner of his eye and finally a child dies in his arms. Soon he learns the secret - a woman, who once lost her child and now wants her revenge is haunting the townsfolk and whenever she is seen, a child dies.

Eden Lake

(91 min, 2008)
Director: James Watkins
Writer: James Watkins
Stars: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender and Tara Ellis

oh, Children!

Stephen Taylor (Michael Fassbender) invites his girlfriend (Kelly Reilly), a kindergarten teacher Jenny, to spend the weekend in Eden Lake, a paradisaical and remote place in the woods. However, his true intention is to propose Jenny. While camping at the lake shore, they are disturbed by a gang of loathsome boys leaded by the punk Brett. The next day, the couple realizes that they have been robbed and are stranded in the woods without their car. While walking through the forest trying to reach the road, Steve and Jenny meet the gang and they are brutally attacked. Steve is captured by the youths while Jenny is seeks a way out of the woods with the criminals chasing her.

I want to say upfront – I love kids. I want to have three myself. Whenever I turn on the news and I hear something bad happened to a child I instantly have tears in my eyes. But as I sometimes wonder about my future kids' possible names and how would they look like I always think of infants and kinder garden kids, never about the time when they start to rebel. Teenagers are hell, no matter where they are and who raises them. But hell has many different shades - there is a difference between smoking cigarettes in school bathroom when they are fifteen and torturing strangers when they are twelve.

“Eden Lake” tells a story that can happen to anyone and that is the most petrifying aspect of the film. When you're watching it you think that something like this cannot possibly happen in today's world, but then you start thinking and you come to the conclusion that sadly it is, in fact, our horrible reality – that children like those in the movie can be seen anywhere around us. Stephan and Jenny are a normal couple – she's sweet, loves kids as she is kinder garden teacher. He is trying to look like a macho in front of her, but as he wants to propose, he takes her for romantic weekend at the lake.