The Woman In The Yard (2025) Review
“The Woman In The Yard” is a reminder of how our thoughts and feelings, the lies we tell ourselves, often play the villains in our story.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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“The Woman In The Yard” Film Details
| Runtime | 1 Hour(s) and 28 Minutes |
| Release Date | March 27, 2025 |
| How To Watch | In Theaters |
| Advisory (MPAA) Film Rating | Rated PG-13 |
| Genre(s) | Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller |
| Director(s) | Jaume Collet-Serra |
| Writer(s) | Sam Stefanak |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures |
Summary
Ramona, her husband David, and their two kids, Taylor and Annie, left the city for Bishop, Georgia, to live life on a farm. When we are introduced to Ramona, David is gone, her leg is healing from an accident, and the lights are out. Then, to make matters worse, there is a strange woman, dressed like a Victorian woman at a funeral, in the yard and while Ramona tries to handle the situation, Taylor starts smelling himself, and tries to be the man of the house, and Annie is frightened enough to be a few minutes from potentially peeing herself.
But, within 90 minutes, Ramona faces this person, this entity casting a shadow over her home and family and finds herself unable to cower in fear but having to face it head on.
Cast and Character(s)
Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler)
An artist back when she lived in the city, Ramona now spends most of her time catering to other people, the animals on the farm, if not the farm and the house she lives in.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Station Eleven.”
David (Russell Hornsby)
While Ramona agreed to live in a farm house, it was David who championed the idea of purchasing a fixer-upper and moving the family out to a rural area where you could scream as loud as you want and not a single neighbor could hear.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Mike: Season 1.”
Taylor (Peyton Jackson)
Taylor, a teenager who is starting to smell himself a bit, doesn’t necessarily seem all that happy about being away from the city. This especially becomes true when the lights go out and there is nothing to do but throw a ball at the wall.
- The actor is also known for their role in “First Christmas.”
Annie (Estella Kahiha)
Annie is as cute as can be, easily scared, and when not reading or playing with her stuffed penguin, she is usually trying to keep herself busy.
The Woman In The Yard (Okwui Okpokwasili)
A mystery to Taylor and Annie, but a familiar face to Ramona, The Woman In The Yard is a ominious presence who Ramona doesn’t necessarily fear but is aware of what they are capable of doing, so she does her best to keep her distance.
Review
Highlight(s)
An Unexpected Villain [83/100]
We’re going to do our best to keep things with minimal to no spoilers when we talk about the “villain.” But what we can say is, what you see in the film, how the villain develops, and how it preys on Taylor and Annie, when it all comes together in the end, it makes sense. You understand why the villain has a desire to play with Ramona’s mind and have her harm her children. You can understand why the villain moves amongst shadows and despite Ramona having some familiarity with who the villain is, her being fearful to name them or share what she knows.
Then when you factor in Taylor’s need to confront the villain, to understand or even threaten the monster, it makes the reveal of who the villain truly is all the more better.
On The Fence
This May Not Be For Everyone [77/100]
With that all said, “The Woman In The Yard,” even with jump scares, moderate violence, and some sense of tension, may not be for everyone. It has 5 cast members total, is by no means nightmare-inducing, and there is a chance people may not appreciate the reveal of who the villain ultimately is. In advertisements, this may seem like a generic, “Who is this weird person haunting this family” kind of movie, but there is a pursuit to be deep that some may not appreciate for it isn’t necessarily what is sold in the trailer.
Overall
Our Rating (80/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)
“The Woman In The Yard” is the type of film which I can imagine, if it doesn’t become a financial hit, it will still have a notable following because of who the villain is, how they unraveled their story, and the reflection of who they are when you put it all together. Add in Danielle Deadwyler delivering an expected, wonderful performance, and the focus strictly on Black characters, who feel culturally Black, and unquestionably there will be videos, articles, and more for “The Woman In The Yard” which will make it exist beyond what many initially thought it was or would be.
Movie Contains
| Dialog | Cursing (Rare) |
| Violence | Violence Against Animals, Violence Against Children, Gore, Blood, |
| Sexual Content | Nothing Notable |
| Miscellaneous | Body Horror, Drinking |
What To Check Out Next
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At times confusing, but often disturbing, The Free Fall is a horror movie best watched at night and alone.
Don’t Kill Me (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Don’t Kill Me is sparse on details to the point of wondering if something was lost in translation.
Links
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