The Woman in the Yard Is Terrifying, in a Very Uneven, Upsetting Way

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 wou ... Read full article.