SDLqThe Woman in Black” very nearly suffocates under the mounting weight of its gothic kitsch — an abandoned house, child ghosts, spooky dolls, oh my! — but nevertheless summons ornately crafted, old-fashioned suspense.

This is the second film for British director James Watkins, whose previous “Eden Lake” gathered an intriguing story about class out of a confrontation in the woods between a vacationing couple (Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly) and a violent gang of youths.

Watkins prefers the term “thriller” to “horror,” and by these two films, it’s obvious he’s interested in using fright for more than just shock and something closer to real life.

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