Daniel Radcliffe's 'The Woman In Black' Draws Most U.K. Film Complaints as of Mid-Year Point

LONDON – Daniel Radcliffe's post-Harry Potter starrer The Woman In Black did not just draw the crowds but also scared up complaints from the public.

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The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) said the supernatural tale is the most complained about film of the year so far.

The censor, which doesn't normally release information about complaint levels until the full year has played out, told THR the Radcliffe starrer has already drawn 120 complaints, an unusually high level.

Last year's most moaned about movie in the U.K. was Black Swan for which the BBFC received a third less complaints.

The Woman in Black secured the BBFC's 12A rating – similar to the PG-13 certificate in the U.S. – which, according to the British censor itself, often attracts controversy.

It is one of the BBFC's most sought after certifications because it opens up bigger audience potential.

A BBFC spokesperson told THR the full details and nature of the complaints about The Woman In Black would be revealed next year when the body's annual report is published.

It is widely known that a slew of the complaints centered on the fact the film, about a young lawyer who visits a remote, haunted village, is too frightening for children.

The BBFC, which describes the film as containing "a number of scenes of supernatural horror and threat" had instructed its U.K. distributor Momentum to shave six seconds from the film, darken some shots and reduce the sound levels in some scenes to achieve the 12A rating.

The 12A certificate was introduced in 2002 in the wake of complaints from school children that the old '12' rating -- no one under that age was allowed in – prevented them from seeing Spider-Man.

The BBFC introduced the '12A' rating which allows people under that age to see the film if accompanied by an adult.

Publishing its annual report Wednesday, the BBFC noted that in 2011, a trio offilms classified at 12A and featuring young but strong heroines facing difficult, albeit fantasy, circumstances, dominated its 'postbag’ in 2011.

The films cited in 2011 were Hanna, Sucker Punch and Twilight – Breaking Dawn – Part 1 which drew a combined total of 60 complaints from the public.

The most complained about film of all time in Britain is The Dark Knight,  another 12A rated film, which stirred up 364 complaints in 2008.