The Woman in the Yard (2025)

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson

A mysterious woman repeatedly appears in a family’s front yard, often delivering chilling warnings and unsettling messages, leaving them to question her identity, motives and the potential danger she might pose.

‘The Woman in the Yard’ utilizes its small cast and limited locations to maximum effect, and adds creepiness with excellent use of shadow effects. It almost plays like a haunted house movie.

Ramona recently lost her husband in a car accident and now lives alone with their two young children Taylor and Annie on the farm they built for themselves. Her leg is in a brace and she moves around with great difficultly, which off course elevates the suspense when her life depends on it.

One morning they notice a woman dressed in black sitting in their yard, and when Ramona approaches the woman, she hauntingly replies “Today is the day.” At first I thought she was a demon, but as it turns out she was an angel of death, which I will get into later during this review – which will contain spoilers (bur for now its still safe to read on).

With the power off and her mobile phone’s battery flat, they are unable to call for help, and the car also won’t start. Sitting in the house watching the Woman, tensions rise between Ramona and Taylor, who is strong-willed and desperate to get the Woman to leave their property.

In order to help me remember the movie better in time to come, this is the part where I’m going to do spoilers. ‘The Woman in the Yard’ is a very deep film – like poetry – where everything is not to be taken literally. Apparently the film also confuses many viewers.

Ramona is depressed after losing her husband and having to care for the children on her own. The fact there is no electricity and with no means to contact anyone for help, is a metaphor for her mood and feeling of helplessness. It is also revealed Ramona was driving the night her husband was killed.

Out of depression, Ramona planned to commit suicide, and the Woman appeared on the day Ramona was to do so. However, she realizes she still has much to live for, and when she decides not to commit suicide, the Woman disappears. Ramona also tells her children “she might be back, but that she will be ready”. This suggests she might be depressed again in the future, but will not surrender to the thought of suicide. When the Woman is gone, the lights also goes back on, telling us Ramona is in a better frame of mind again.

Would I watch it again? I don’t think so.