The Woman In The Yard is a chilling exploration of grief, guilt, and depression. While it relies heavily on jumpscares, the use of shadows is brilliant.
More of a psychological thriller than I expected, The Woman In The Yard relies heavily on sound design and jumpscares to provide the actual scares. That said, this film is a chilling exploration of grief, guilt, and depression that might not be perfect, but it is effective enough.
I have to admit that I had low expectations going into this movie, considering that the press screening was after it was already technically playing in theaters, but my 12-year-old had seen the trailers and really wanted to go (she is a horror buff like me). I was going in more or less blind, only seeing images and no actual trailer. All of this to say that I think this created the perfect storm of rather enjoying The Woman In The Yard.
For a movie that clocks in at less than ninety minutes, the first act moves at a snail’s pace. This is to set up for what is to come and to keep the audience confused, just as Romana (Danielle Deadwyler) is, about what exactly is happening. In the second act, things start to really pick up, and the third act goes all out.
The story follows a grieving family. Ramona has lost her husband in a car accident that has also injured her leg. Their two children, Taylor (Peyton Jackson) and Annie (Estella Kahiha) need their mother, who is basically absent – at least mentally. When a strange woman cloaked in black shows up on their lawn, their world gets turned upside down.
One of the best things about The Woman In The Yard is the way that the shadows are used. The strange woman controls her shadow, using it to effect the things around her. From making the wind chimes move to literally dragging people around, this is a very cool effect that is done well.
While this woman is terrifying at times, at others, she is just kind of there. Of course, her looming presence is supposed to scare people in general, but this is where the jump scares come in. Because she controls the shadows, she often lurks in them. Her popping up unexpectedly will cause viewers to jump and then laugh that they were got.
For a small ensemble cast of just four, they work really well together. The mother in me related to Ramona at times and was deeply gutted by her at others. I know what it is like to feel like you are the glue holding everything together, but thankfully, I never let it get to me like she does.
As a parent, the third act really hit me hard. I watched most of it from behind my fingers, with my 12-year-old pressed against me. We were both impacted by these events, but I can see how it would not resonate with some people.
The “big reveal” was not predictable per se, but I was also not shocked. Then, we get to the ending, which is confusing and ambiguous. Most people in my screening all had different ideas of what happened. I am not sure whether that is a good or bad thing, but it certainly left people talking.
Deadwyler delivers an incredible performance as Ramona, Kahiha is absolutely adorable, and Jackson brilliantly portrays a boy who has abruptly become the man of the house. I cannot say too much about Okwui Okpokwasili’s performance as the woman, but she can be terrifying when she needs to be.
Overall, The Woman In The Yard is not perfect. The story is messy at times, and I wish it leaned more into the scares – especially in the first act. I also would have loved a more concrete ending. That said, the exploration of depression is going to resonate with a lot of people, and honestly, is what is more terrifying about this film.
More or less what I expected; it is worth the price of admission if you ask me.
NEXT: Locked Review: A Heart-Pounding Intense Film From Start To Finish
About The Woman In The Yard
Danielle Deadwyler stars as Ramona, a woman crippled by grief after she survives a car accident that takes her husband. Seriously injured, Ramona now must care for their 14-year-old son and 6-year-old-daughter, alone in her rural farmhouse.
Then one day the woman takes form in their yard. Ramona assumes the woman is lost or demented, but as the woman creeps nearer and nearer to the house, it becomes clear she is no ordinary figure and her intentions are anything but peaceful. Now Ramona must rally to protect herself and her children from the grasp of the woman who simply won’t leave them alone.
The Woman In The Yard is in theaters now.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.