THE WOMAN IN THE YARD movie poster | ©2025 Universal Pictures

Rating: PG-13
Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahila, Russell Hornsby
Writer: Sam Stefanak
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: March 28, 2025

Rowena Harris (Danielle Deadwyler) has been having trouble getting out of bed since the death of her husband David (Russell Hornsby) in a car accident several weeks earlier.

Rowena came away with a broken leg and injuries requiring stitches, but the emotional wounds run much deeper. She’s having trouble being wholly there for her children, teen Taylor (Peyton Jackson) and little Annie (Estella Kahila), with unpaid bills and too little food in the refrigerator.

David’s dream was to restore a farm property with a big house on an isolated plot of land. The family is living in the not-quite-finished home, with no neighbors nearby when the power goes out. The cell phone doesn’t work because there’s no way to charge it.

None of this would be an immediate crisis, except for the fact that a woman (Okwui Okpokwasili), clad all in black, including the black veil covering her face, has appeared in the front yard. She is seated on a chair that she seems to have brought with her.

Without appearing to move, the woman and her chair keep drawing closer to the house. Annie is frightened, Taylor is unnerved and Ramona is apprehensive.

When Ramona finally goes out to confront the stranger, the woman knows an awful lot about the Harrises. The following might be spoilery, but it is in the trailer: the woman won’t give her name or any information about herself, except to say that she is somehow responding to Ramona’s summons, and warning, “Today’s the day.”

Writer Sam Stefanak sets up a plausible enough familial dynamic, as well as a reasonable scenario for why the Harrises can’t just reach out for help.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra utilizes spreading shadows for maximum scare impact, with the result that THE WOMAN IN THE YARD is often deeply unnerving. This is an instance where the PG-13 rating simply denotes the omission of certain words and major gore, rather than a lack of intensity.

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD also benefits from the powerful performances of Deadwyler and the imposing Okpokwasili. Deadwyler endows Ramona with both heartbreaking listlessness and terrifying fury. Okpokwasili has enormous presence – she intimidates us without having to raise her voice.

Jackson and Kahila are likable and natural, and Hornsby is charismatic in his scenes.

The problem is that THE WOMAN IN THE YARD is one of those “make of it what you will” films. Some people love these. For people who want to have some comprehension of what is unspooling, the movie becomes progressively frustrating, teasing what (if anything) is actually happening, as opposed to what is simply a manifestation of Ramona’s depression.

We’re not sure where the demarcation lines are. Again, for those who enjoy major ambiguity, this may be fine. For the rest of us, the clues aren’t sufficient to make this an effective brain teaser, and the lack of clarity causes us to become less rather than more invested by the climax.

The end credits contain commendable contact information for a suicide hotline and mental health services. These may provide concrete help. THE WOMAN IN THE YARD provides solid frights, and offers a depiction of clinical unhappiness, but nothing that makes us feel like we’ve gained increased insight.

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