The Woman in the Yard is an old-school horror film where the horror stands and sits outside the house, not even bothering to hide. The woman in question is dressed in a black veil, covered head to toe in a lace dress. She sits in a chair, located about 20 yards away from the house at the start of the film. Ramona, a widow and a mother of two as well as the film’s main protagonist, goes outside to speak with her, and the woman talks back with a sinister clarity of who Ramona is and gives ambiguous clues as to why the woman is here for her.
Ramona, battling inner demons and guilt after the death of her husband, has been sent this woman to “give her strength” for her children. For a movie about depression, the woman creeps about as more of a disturbing poltergeist whose true intentions are clouded behind her “concerned” facade of taking care of Ramona, and “giving her strength”. As the actual personification of Ramona’s mental demons, the woman battles against Ramona’s love of her children and the strength she has left.
While the movie’s premise is good, I think the script falls a little short in the film sequence where the woman takes on classic demonic jump scares to Ramona and her kids. The idea of a malevolent being who doesn’t haunt through violence but does so psychologically is a great use of thrill, but when the director can’t keep up the horror with just that, it makes the movie fall flat in places that it shouldn’t.
The acting was phenomenal, specifically by Danielle Deadwyler who plays Ramona and the woman. The contrast between both characters was done really well, and I think that if the script fell short, she certainly did not.
At the end of the day, this movie is worth watching. I think it’s a good introduction for beginners into psychological horror, with a side of action for those wanting more. With that said, make sure you keep your window blinds closed for the foreseeable future afterwards.
