As the ominous shadows of war loom over London, Eve Parkins, a dedicated educator, undertakes a treacherous expedition with her students and the imposing headmistress Jean Hogg to the seemingly abandoned village of Crythin Gifford. On their train journey, Eve strikes up a charming conversation with the dashing RAF pilot Harry Burnstow (played by Jeremy Irvine), stationed nearby. However, upon reaching the eerily quiet village, Eve encounters Jacob, a man ensnared by madness, prompting her to flee in fear.
Reluctantly, Eve and Jean settle into the ominous Eel Marsh House, a foreboding mansion situated on an isolated island. That night, Eve's sleep is plagued by recurring nightmares, revisiting the painful moment she chose to give up her child. Awakening to the unsettling creaking of a rocking chair from the cellar, she discovers a disturbing message reproaching her for her past decision and comes face-to-face with the specter of a woman in black.
As time progresses, Eve's unease intensifies when Edward, one of her pupils, begins to carry a decaying doll closely, suggesting a hidden darkness within him. His fascination with this grotesque toy coincides with the mysterious disappearance of Tom, a bully who harassed Edward, found later ensnared in barbed wire along the beach.
Eve’s confrontations with the spectral Woman in Black become increasingly intense, leading her to unravel the tragic history of Nathaniel Drablow through an old recording made by Alice Drablow shortly before her death. It becomes evident that Jennet Humpfrye, Nathaniel’s mother and a ghostly presence, seeks vengeance against Eve for her past transgressions.
Compelled to confront Jacob, a blind man who has succumbed to madness due to the spirits surrounding him, Eve delves deeper into the village's haunting past. Amidst this desolation, she grapples with her inner demons while facing a relentless supernatural force that torments her every step.
As the chaos of war unfolds, Jean stumbles upon a chilling scene back home—one of the girls trapped under the Woman's malevolent influence. The air raid sirens pierce the night as the girl succumbs in a desperate attempt to escape beneath the suffocating weight of a gas mask. In light of this tragedy, Harry reveals his secret airfield—a decoy designed to mislead enemy bombers and safeguard lives. This revelation serves as a stark reflection of Harry's tarnished past, burdened by the shame of surviving an airplane crash where no one else did.
Meanwhile, Eve begins to piece together the Woman in Black's dreadful presence, noting a childlike figure interlaced within the facade of the plane decoy. As Harry searches for Edward, he encounters this spectral entity—Tom, now disfigured, who gazes at him with icy disdain, as if accusing him of surviving against all odds. Tom's apparent demise by walking into a fire pit adds a grim twist, but Eve uncovers that Edward is still alive, ensnared within Eel Marsh House. Recognizing the peril they're in, she bravely ventures to the island, only to find Edward at the brink of despair, poised to follow Nathaniel's tragic path.
Desperately, Eve urges him to think of his mother, breaking the spectral grip Jennet has over their son. In a moment of hope, Edward begins to swim back towards her, yet they are abruptly dragged into the murky depths by the vengeful spirits of Jennet’s victims. In a heroic act, Harry dashes into the marsh to save them but is seized by the malevolent child ghosts, sacrificing his life in the process.
Months pass, and Eve has adopted Edward, beginning a new life in London. Though they cling to the hope that they've escaped the Woman's grasp, the reverberations of her wrath remain undeniable as she shatters a photograph of Harry and his crew when they venture beyond their new sanctuary.
