As terrifying as the idea behind The Woman in the Yard is, when you realize what it’s actually about, it’s even scarier. That should be a positive thing—scary is good, right? But in this case, it shifts the film’s expectations and aims in such a radical way that as bold as the choice is, it doesn’t quite work.
That first idea—the one shown in the trailers—is this. A mom named Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) has recently been widowed when her husband, David (Russell Hornsby), died in a car accident. She’s struggling to keep it together with two rambunctious kids (Peyton Jackson and Estella Kahiha) when a mysterious woman appears in their yard. Dressed all in black, her face covered in a veil, the woman tells Ramona “Today’s the day” as she calmly sits outside, gazing back at the house.
The reason we can endure most of the classic horror scenarios—unstoppable slashers, killer ghosts, murder traps, etc.—is that none of them feel possible. We deal with them because in reality, most of us would never actually deal with them. The Woman in the Yard hits in the opposite way. Any of us can imagine the guttural terror we’d feel if someone so devilishly challenged our safest space. It’s beyond unsettling. And so, director Jaume Collet-Serra (Black Adam, Jungle Cruise, Carry On) uses that to his advantage. Tension builds slowly as we explore the family’s fear through charged parental interactions, canted camera angles, and long shots highlighting the expansive nature of the home.
Within that set-up, like the family we’re left wondering a few things: who is this woman and why is she there? The answers come slowly, as the film instead focuses on what the woman can do as opposed to why she’s doing it, leading to a few fun sequences. Eventually, though answers do come. And that’s when the movie takes its turn.
Clearly, whatever the answers are in The Woman in the Yard, we want them to be surprising, interesting, and scary. Solving these mysteries is why we’re there. And, fortunately, the answers check all of those boxes.
Unfortunately, to achieve that, the script by Sam Stefanak has to pivot away from the typical horror tropes, which causes some issues. Now, to explain that in enough detail to make my point, I have to talk about some spoilers. I won’t ruin the ending or spell out every single reveal, but to fully dissect why the film’s traditional horror elements don’t fit cleanly with its ultimate intentions, I have to reveal those intentions. If you plan to see the movie, skip past the next photo to avoid the spoilers.
At a certain point, we learn the titular character is there not to haunt Ramona, it’s there to help her. Since the accident, she’s been wracked with guilt and grief and has been praying for the strength to kill herself, even knowing it’ll leave her kids orphaned. “Today’s the day” refers to the day Ramona will finally muster to courage to do that, and the woman is there to facilitate. Yeah. We know. Kind of messed up.
Those revelations come in a few of the best scenes in the movie, but they also seemingly mark the end of one story and the beginning of another. The first is the supernatural horror movie we thought we were watching. The second is about what a person hoping to end their own life must go through. And both of those stories have different expectations. Once we know there are real-life stakes at play, all the supernatural things like shadow monsters or creepy hauntings feel out of place and insignificant. Did they happen? Did they not? Why would they happen at all? The idea of a mother of two killing herself simply is too serious for any of that. So we’re left with these diametric and opposing forces, both in the film and outside it.
Plus, the idea of Ramona taking her own life is so much scarier than anything else, but not in a silly, horror movie way. The implications are disturbing and staggering, so as the film dives into it, things rightfully get uncomfortable and challenging. Again, this should be a good thing, but it’s a betrayal to the movie itself. You feel gaslit about why you sat down to watch the movie at all, and guilty that you didn’t take it as seriously as it deserved to be. As shocking and brash as the reveal is, it doesn’t quite work.
What does work, besides Collet-Serra’s direction, are the performances of the family. Deadwyler gives an intense, captivating portrayal of a woman on the edge that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Kahiha and Hornsby have less to do, but each fills a warm, loving void much needed in Ramona’s life and the movie. Ultimately, though, the breakout is Jackson: he’s a commanding, charismatic presence and probably the person the audience most relates to. We’ll be seeing much more of him.
In the end, we’re glad Universal and Blumhouse had the guts to make and release The Woman in the Yard. Using the horror genre to tackle important issues is becoming increasingly rare, especially in a wide release, so kudos to that. You just wish those issues felt more cohesive within the horror narrative, and not like a big red mark on an otherwise clean surface. If the film had more fully embraced one side or the other, it would’ve worked better.
The Woman in the Yard is now in theaters.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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