Woman in black to yr 8?

[Thirtyrock39]

Prepared to be told I'm being a snowflake but I watched the old version of woman in black as a student and it was really creepy and terrifies me at 19. So I was pretty surprised when my twelve year old couldn't get to sleep last night and told me it was because they'd shown the Harry Potter version at school - they watched half of it yesterday and watching second (scarier) half tomorrow.
Apparently it's a controversial 12a and had a lot of complaints about this rating so should the school at least have given parents a heads up?
I've told dd to speak to the teacher today and see if they can find her an alternative activity but am a bit cross and surprised about it

It wasn’t scary to me at all. It was like a horror aimed at early teens

Scariness is not one of the considerations when deciding on film classifications. Because the horror elements are mostly implied, there is nothing there to warrant a higher certificate.
If Daniel Radcliffe had sworn a couple of times it would have been a 15
Which proves it is nonsense

ds enjoyed this in English lessons but I was a bit surprised. Especially as he has SN and we were given no warning that they would be watching some of this

the old version of woman in black as a student and it was really creepy and terrifies me at 19

Do you mean the BBC 1980s version? It's on YouTube. That is very creepy indeed. Just seeing her face is disturbing enough. And there's a real poo-in-your-pants moment!

My 13 yo who is really tough and normally scared by nothing watched this recently at school and was disturbed by it. YANBU OP.

I taught this to an S3 class (14 and 15 year olds) and I still primed them in advance and made sure that they knew that if anyone came to me with a concern either before or during the watching of the film we could work out another media text for the class. It’s a 12 (12A rating is only for cinemas) but I do think it’s quite scary because there’s so much that’s implied.

I don’t think the teacher is necessarily wrong, but it’s not a choice I would make - you’re creating potential problems for yourself. My class have really enjoyed studying it and there’s loads in it to analyse, so I can see why the teacher has picked it, but personally I wouldn’t at that age.

The play was shite. The film was very jumpy. ...the whole cinema screamed !

I saw it in the cinema when it came out and I was at uni by then, I thought it was terrifying! Had my hands over my eyes for most of the film Should definitely have been a 15 imo but I hate horror movies anyway

It scared me!

Its very jumpy and lots of tension mounting which makes the jumpy bits worse. (And the bits you dont see are worse uf you have an active imagination!)
I wouldnt be happy for a 12 yr old to watch it and i dont care a jot if people sneer at me.
Some kids are just too sensitive or like me, too vivid an imagination to watch this kind of stuff at that age.

Of all the books or films they could have chosen as a gothic theme thats a bit too full on for me.

My niece went to the theatre production last year in year 10 and it terrified her! I've never seen her so freaked by anything!

I'm pretty sure I was in year 8 or 9 when I studied it, we read the book, watched the original and went to see the stage show in London, this was 2003/2004 so it's nice to know they haven't changed what books are being read in lessons in 15 years or so 😂
I would just ask your child what it is about the story that is causing the sleepless night and see what you can discuss too try and make them less worried?

Update: dd didn't speak to the teacher yesterday so I had to ring up and it turns out there were a few other calls from parents so they haven't shown it again- feel less of a snowflake and thanks for the comments as my daughter read them and felt less of a wimp seeing she wasn't the only one who finds it a scary film