This solid gothic movie from the house of the legendary Hammer Studios based on the novel by susan Hills and already made into a TV movie in 1989 is a classic ghsot story. Harry Potter Star Daniel Radcliffe plays the young attorney Arthur Kipps who, after his wife died during the birth of his son Joseph, is being assigned by his boss to handle the estate of a deceased woman called Alice Drablow.
Recently after his arrival, he determines that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Although the locals try anything possible to keep him from finding out about their tragic history, he soon recovers that there's something wrong with the house. It seems to be haunted by the spirit of a woman who lost something and no one, not even the local kids, are safe from being avenged by her.

Due to the more profitable rating, the movie was slightly shortened in the UK to get the BBFC 12A-rating.


Compared are the UK DVD (BBFC 12) and the US DVD (PG-13).

Running time:
BBFC 12: 95:05 min. NTSC (incl. end credits)
PG-13: 95:19 min. NTSC (incl. end credits)

Difference: 3 scenes with a total length of 14 seconds.

Devided in:

1 extended company logo: 7 seconds
2 extended scenes in the PG-13 Version: 7 seconds

Extended Shot in the PG-13 Version:
00:00:00
The first difference results from the different logos of the right holders. The decisive factor is the cross creek pictures logo in the PG-13 Version.

7 sec

BBFC 12	PG-13

Different Company Logos in the Opening Credits:
00:02:21
Different logos of the production companies.

no difference

BBFC 12	PG-13

Extended Shot in the PG-13 Version:
01:01:43
The suicide of the woman in black, Jennet Humfrye, is more detailed. The PG-13 Version also contains a shot of the snare around her neck getting tighter. Then she looks into the direction of the camera before she leaps of the chair.
The broken neck is more explicit as well.
Anything occures pretty fast, it's hard to recognize in movement. To make it clearer, the following screens have been lightened up a bit.

4 sec

Extended Shot in the PG-13 Version:
01:05:33
After Lucy, the little daughter of the attorney Jerome, set herself on fire, a tiny shot of her making a small step to Arthur while being on fire has been removed.

3 sec