10 Movies You Hated Before You Even Saw Them

10. The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe Woman In Black
Momentum Pictures/ CBS Films

Why people hated it: For his first project post-Potter, Daniel Radcliffe went out of his comfort zone for an adaptation of Susan Hill's beloved ghost novel, The Woman In Black.

Telling the story of a lawyer who, in an attempt to sort out a deceased client's affairs, becomes embroiled in her family's dark history, the jokes about Harry Potter fighting ghosts were instantaneous, with expectations low.

How could an actor who just a year before we'd been watching run around a school (admittedly fighting dark wizards) suddenly mature to convince not only as a father, but a widower? This was amplified by the book's existing legacy; it had already been adapted to the stage to great success.

The West End sensation is a genuinely terrifying experience with a horror that came directly from its theatrical medium, which has helped it run for a whopping twenty-five years.

Was the hate justified: The Woman In Black obviously couldn't match the sheer terror of the stage play, but James Watkins' film is far from a dud.

The horror may be toned down with jump scares breaking an overarching sense of dread so the film can reach a family-friendly rating, but it's still effective, while Radcliffe was convincing in a more mature role too, prompting discussion of a successful adult acting career.

Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.