How the hell did The Woman In Black get a 12A rating????

[Elderflower14]

I'm now watching it in terror for the third time. Who the hell thought the 12A rating was appropriate??? 🙄 🙄 😲 😲 😲 😲

It’s not that scary is it?!

The play is far far jumpier.

I'm not brave enough for the play!

It is an awful film. How have you sat through it 3 times?

Honestly I’m not easily creeped out but it shit me up!

Can’t remember any truly scary bits in the film but maybe I need to watch again. I think the bit where the girl dies of lye poisoning is a bit horrid.

No swearing, no sex, no drugs, just pure fear

I watched it the first time with my best friend in the village hall. Made her come home in the dark with me. Got to the gate and my now ex bf cycled up behind us and said good evening. Suffice to say our reply was not very polite.
Second time.was with my DP and it made him jump. Now watching with Mum who isn't unduly scared!! 😂 😂

Depends what version you are watching. The original version was rated 15 by the BBFC and the filmmakers made a few minutes of cuts to get it down to a 12A. I believe that the 15 ‘uncut’ version is around on DVD. The BBFC made the point at the time that the version in cinemas was at the very very top of 12A and Daniel Radcliffe was quite clear in interviews that it was NOT suitable for children!

Quite an interesting write-up of the case from the BBFC if you are nerdy like me:

www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/woman-black.

There were quite a few complaints at the time.

The Lovely Bones is another weird 12 - contains the brutal murder of a child.

I was surprised by Bumblebee at the cinema the other day, they said ‘shit’ twice and two humans were killed by robots - it’s a PG, the same rating as Frozen!

That is interesting to read Thanks . I understand what they are saying about young teenagers being able to see it, but in reality parents will take younger children to see 12A films.
I’ve see children been taken out of films like Jurassic World screaming- but it’s ok because it’s a 12A 🤷🏽‍♀️

Oh the play is brilliant - I couldn’t see how a 2 man production of it could work but it’s fantastic. If you go to see it in the West End, you must sit in the stalls for the best view, and preferably at the front RHS when looking at the stage (the guy at the Leicester Square box office booked them for us at his recommendation and he was spot on!)

The original version (from the 70s???) is absolutely bloody terrifying - I'd read the book previously and still wasn't prepared! Subsequently saw the play version for my 18th. Thought the most recent film relied too heavily on the "shock factor" of poisoning children rather than the terror of the woman herself.

I saw the 1989 version as a child. I was 9 or 10 yrs old. I had nightmares for a long long time. Haven't seen 2012 version yet. I think 12 is a bit young.

The book I was terrified by. I didn't find the film as bad as the book, I quite agree it shouldn't be a 12 though!

The play of this is my number one favourite ever. It’s incredible, and like the pp, I didn’t know how a 2 man play could hook you in so much. I’ve seen it 5 times and every single time the audience has screamed around me. I’ve never experienced anything like it!

I avoided horror films for years thinking I got too scared. Then for some reason, I watched Woman in Black and wasn't even slightly scared by it.

My friends who watch horror/ghost films regularly thought it was terrifying. Heard and read others who say the same. I can't understand why tbh.

Daniel Radcliffe is very good in it.

^only seen the film not read the book or watched the play.

The one with DR in it? Gordon Bennett, it scared the living daylights out of me!

Watch the play, it's so much better

The play totally freaked me out but the film less so. I think it's the live tension/suspense.

In the play there’s a scene where the little dog has jumped into the marshes, and the two menlean over the edge of the stage to look for it.

There’s no little dog or marsh of course but nearly everyone in that theatre leant forward with them to look anyway. They make it that believable.

Because it isn’t scary

It depends what you define as scary though?!

Bloody hell! That film scared the crap out of me,and believe me,it takes a VERY scary film to do that.

I didn't find the film at all scary either. It's just jump scares and constant jump scares aren't scary because you start to anticipate them, also because as Mark Kermode said, I think it was him, you laugh at your reaction so it breaks the tension. If they're used occasionally they can be very effective but with TWB there's no real buildup of dread and tension, just one jump scare after another.