The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

During the Blitz of World War II, a school teacher evacuates her schoolchildren to a mansion which may or may not be haunted. 

Phoebe Fox as Eve Parkins is great, the actress is strong enough and effortlessly carries the film. Helen McCrory as headmistress Hogg in a supporting role is also notable. Director Tom Harper offers an atmospheric, visually interesting sequel, it's not a cheap cash in with great sets and finely done effects. It's not that there's anything wrong with The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, it's just it's been done before in similar films recently like The Awakening, The Orphanage and a handful of creepier other European chillers. It is a mediocre sequel with high production values, it could have fitted into a hour episode of Tales of the Unexpected as the character's from a pilot to the headmistress' back stories feel stereotype and shoe horned. 

Where as its remake predecessor was a classic style ghost story and borrowed from its 80s counterpart and by default the source material, it had its own Hammer style charm. This offering, possibly due to its change in time period loses it's Gothic mood, feels it's retreading old ground and is short on tension and scares.

As old school ghost stories go it does what it say on the tin, but it's just not as psychological, memorable or a creepy as the likes of Haunt, The Haunting, Legend of Hell House, Haunted or more recently, Haunt, The Beckoning, Jessabelle or The Babadook to name a few.