“I will never forgive you for letting my boy die. I will never forgive.”
There’s a long-standing taboo in the horror genre: you don’t put children in mortal danger. Whether innocent or guilty, likeable or not, cinematic adults are fair game, and we tune in to see them die in creative and upsetting ways. But children are supposed to be sacrosanct. Only the most disturbing horror stories actually go out on that gruesome limb and kill one or more of their youngest characters. One such story is The Woman in Black. Based on the 1983 novel by Susan Hill, James Watkins’ film revolves around a vengeful mother who gets her revenge by killing the kids of a neighboring town.
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is still grieving the loss of his wife, who died in childbirth several years ago. On thin ice with his employers, the glum solicitor is sent out into the English countryside to restore his image with a challenging case. He must settle the affairs of the late Alice Drablow of the dilapidated Eel Marsh House. Upon arriving in the tiny town of Crythin Gifford, he’s treated with surprising hostility. Even worse, his trips to the crumbling manor coincide with a series of child suicides, each more disturbing than the last. But the secrets he uncovers in Eel Marsh House may be the most dangerous secret of all.
In the latest episode of Bloody FM’s The Lady Killers podcast, co-hosts Jenn Adams, Rachel Reeves, and Shelby Novak revisit this dour English village and the woman who haunts its surrounding hills. What does the Woman actually want? Why was her child taken away from her? How could one house be so disgusting, and what could be worse than drowning in mud? They’ll answer these questions and more as Gothic Horror month continues.
Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.
