The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, the sequel to the 2012 Daniel Radcliffe vehicle, reintroduces the titular specter in 1941, war torn England.

Following the London Blitz, a group of local schoolchildren flee the city, arriving at the false sanctuary of the  Eel Marsh House. Before long, it becomes apparent that they’ve escaped one horror to find themselves within another, as the Woman in Black soon begins to terrorize them. Directed by Tom Hopper, Angel of Death stars War Horse‘s Jeremy Irvine, Helen McCrory, Phoebe Fox and Leanne Best.

‘The Woman in Black 2’ Reviews

Critics have been less than impressed with the horror sequel, finding that the sophomore effort cuts too close to the original in terms of storyline. The paranormal scares were thought to be too textbook to offer much in the way of genuine frights, though the careful cinematography has been lauded. While the acting was deemed passable, Angel of Death has largely been panned – in part due to its obvious desire to inspire a third film in the franchise.

“Angel of Death, and many other films like it, present a universe wherein evil is absolute and also indestructible. If that is the case, then why bother getting invested in anything the characters do? Why bother with heroism at all if we’re all doomed to be ravaged by the vague whims of a specter? These questions (and their inevitably cynical answers) wouldn’t come up if the film itself seemed more interested in anything than merely existing.” – Kyle Anderson, Entertainment Weekly

“Despite its patina of stylishness, The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Deathis sorely lacking in thrills. It’s mostly deadly dull, and when it does liven up a tad, the haunted house tale offers only wan shock tactics. The film’s intriguing production design and serviceable performances are undermined by the plethora of horror movie tropes: lurid dolls, ghostly faces popping up, rhythmic knocks, bumps and jump-jolts. For those who like a little romance, there’s a bland, chemistry-free love story shoehorned in among the scares.” – Claudia Puig, USA Today

“The new installment is, at best, a serviceable creep show, one with far more chills than thrills. Director Tom Harper, working off a script by Jon Croker, has infused this evocative, handsomely mounted film with its requisite share of jolts, many of which, unfortunately, are dream-sequence cheats or jokey contrivances.” – Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

“With minimal overlap in personnel or characters between the two films, the sequel essentially represents a fresh start, but the material feels stale from nearly the first scene featuring the threatening old manse. A vaguely articulated backstory justifying the Woman in Black’s ghostly origins and murderous motivation falls well short of establishing a solid foundation for her vengeful retaliations, even if she remains lethally effective at leading children astray. “ – Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter

The Woman in Black 2 is currently in wide release.