The Woman in the Yard review
Grief horror gets dialed to 11 when the woman in the yard comes to your home.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
The Woman in the Yard
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
Written by Sam Stefanak
Starring Danielle Deadwyler and Okwui Okpokwasili
The Woman in the Yard Review
Our old friends grief and guilt are back for another round of metaphorical horror. The Woman in the Yard leans more heavily into it than most. In fact, it’s a downright stark tale that becomes something that may be difficult to watch by the end. But…us horror fans watch movies about coffee tables decapitating babies in act one…so we are built to take on a dark ending. I would wonder how The Woman in the Yard’s absolutely bleak shift would play with casual filmgoers if I thought any of them were going to seek it out. The marketing for the film has been firm in its horror advertising…so I suspect only a small number of non-horror fans will make it a priority. Either way…The Woman in the Yard’s final statement could be very triggering to some.
Of course, we won’t be talking about the direction that The Woman in the Yard chooses in a non-spoiler review. What I can say is that the titular woman in the yard doesn’t represent exactly what you think she does. Or, at least, she doesn’t represent a watered down fit for general audiences’ interpretation of metaphorical grief and guilt. The Woman in the Yard goes further. It’s bold, in its way. A PG-13 mainstream studio release that has the balls to take its metaphor all the way. That’s to be respected. Even if the road there is more than a little rocky.
Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) is struggling in the aftermath of a car crash that claimed her husband’s life. Her leg is injured, their dream house has fallen into disrepair, and her children Taylor (Peyton Jackson) and Annie (Estella Kahina) are feeling the loss of two parents with her out of commission. Just when it seems like things couldn’t get worse…a strange woman in a black veil appears seated on the edge of the property.
First things first…credit to The Woman in the Yard for finding a few thematically elegant solutions to the common cell phone problem in moder horror. The power at the family’s home goes out early in story. A fine way to add to the growing despair around Ramona and her situation. Even better…Ramona’s phone is out of juice because she’s been lying in bed watching a video of her late husband over and over while her kids scrounge for food. Horror movies often need to manufacture reasons for modern technology to fail. The Woman in the Yard ties it into the theme of the story beautifully.
The purpose of the woman in the yard is intentionally vague throughout most of the movie. She strikes a memorable image…occasionally appearing closer to the home. She tells Ramona that she called for her…and today is the day. The meaning of those words won’t be explored until the third act…leaving most of The Woman in the Yard to play out under mysterious circumstances. Given the recent loss and Ramona’s subsequent depression…your immediate assumption is that the woman is a manifestation of those old horror standards grief and guilt. She is…but The Woman in the Yard has something far more specific in mind.
The strange woman eventually shows off some shadow powers to torment the family…but that’s also right around the time that The Woman in the Yard gets needlessly confusing. It is heading towards a big finish. It doesn’t get there as strongly as it could have. A slow build gives way to some chaos…which is nice. The problem is that it’s unexplained chaos. Even when the endgame of The Woman in the Yard is fully revealed…the section of the story that immediately precedes it sticks out as unnecessarily off-center. A cacophony of interesting ideas that ultimately don’t really fit together.
But the ending is a banger. If you take banger to mean incredibly bleak. Given that this is a horror film…I intend it to mean as such. The woman in the yard is a decently creepy antagonist. Deadwyler turns in an intense lead performance. Jackson and Kahiha provide solid support. The mystery behind Ramona’s guilt isn’t difficult to figure out. It’s even more underwhelming when the film finally spells it out. But it is covering for a deeper reveal. The purpose of the mystery woman is, if nothing else, a step in the right direction for the usually too-safe Blumhouse theatrical release. It stumbles at times…and it’s a downer through and through…but The Woman in the Yard houses some true horror in the end. It’s appreciated.
Scare Value
I’ve been critical of Blumhouse’s recent theatrical output…and rightly so. The Woman in the Yard has its share of issues…but there is, finally, a sense of true dread followed up by a meaningful payoff here. It’s a decidedly grim story. Certainly not the kind of movie people will walk away from with a smile on their face. That’s the best thing about it.
2.5/5
The Woman in the Yard Link
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