The Woman in the Yard

Director Jaume Collet-Serra, ventures into the realm of psychological horror with The Women in the Yard, and the result is a thought-provoking experience. Anchored by a powerful performance from Danielle Deadwyler, the film burrows under the skin, exploring the insidious nature of grief, guilt, and the darkest corners of the human psyche.

Deadwyler portrays Ramona with a raw intensity. She is a woman fractured by loss and the weight of a terrible secret. Her physical disability, a constant reminder of the fatal car accident, mirrors her emotional paralysis. The arrival of the enigmatic Woman, played with an unsettling stillness by Okwui Okpokwasili, throws Ramona's already fragile world into chilling disarray. Okpokwasili's presence is a masterclass in understated horror; her veiled face and pronouncements of "Today's the day" create an atmosphere of relentless dread.

Collet-Serra expertly crafts a sense of claustrophobia within the confines of the isolated farmhouse. The cinematography, often bathed in stark daylight that somehow feels more menacing than darkness, amplifies the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. The unsettling sound design further contributes to the creeping unease, making the ordinary seem sinister.

However, The Women in the Yard transcends mere jump scares, delving into profound and disturbing themes. The film cleverly uses the supernatural to externalize Ramona's internal torment. Saying anything further at this point, drifts us into spoiler territory.

The revelation of the Woman's true nature is a chilling twist that reframes the entire film. It forces the audience to reconsider every interaction and realize the battle Ramona is fighting. The ending, unsettling and leaves a lingering sense of unease.

While some may find the pacing deliberate and the horror more psychological than visceral, The Women in the Yard is a compelling and disturbing. It's a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, prompting reflection on the shadows we carry within ourselves.

Blumhouse CAN be good or decent, but this is yet another one that makes me feel like they put meticulous research into finding out what are the most critically panned and disliked ingredients of their catalogue & then make new films out of them.

Sure, it's a competent enough film with one or two potentially compelling albeit overused themes, but it's also tiring, uninspired, tedious, flat, predictable, lukewarm & ultimately pointless and empty feeling.

It's rare for a movie that's under 90 minutes long to feel this very stretched out, and it's a damn shame that such weak scripts get greenlit with casts & crews that are too good for it.

The worst Jaume Collet-Serra flick, can only compete with "Black Adam" maybe.

This movie will scare you. That's for sure. But there isn't much to talk about with this movie. Because the plot is so bad that a 10 year old would have wrote better. Pretty much all you will get out of this movie is being scared. But the ending, as well as pretty much everything else besides being scared, falls short. This movie would have been better if it was 1 hour. It was 30 minutes too long. If you're ready to be bored for 30 minutes and then feel scared and bored for an hour, then come see this movie. The only reason I didn't rate this a 3 is because it's actually scary. And that's all it is, scary.

Jaume Collet-Serra may not be a perfect director but I have enjoyed his fun popcorn flicks like The Shallows, The Commuter and underrated horror Orphan. While it's messy script and structure does suffer from uneven directions and tone, it's interesting concept and solid thrills offer a good fun horror movie.

Placed with some interesting themes and good camerawork, the slow-burn tension and atmosphere does offer some good build up throughout. Including sound designs and colors used throughout. I do wish the writing does explore some different territories and ways, especially it's third act being pretty rough. Undoubtably, the concept was pretty interesting. Once again, Danielle Deadwyler shines with a strong performance and keeps the characters somewhat interesting, even if it doesn't always work.

For 87 minutes, the movie does feel as if it would work as a short film or a short episode. But as a whole, it's a decent horror flick.

This movie really got to me - super intense and stressful. At first, I didn't understand anything, but slowly it all starts making sense, and you get pulled into it. It's not just some random woman appearing out of nowhere - there's actually something deeper, and that's what makes it interesting. I was a bit disappointed that they revealed the woman's face too early - I feel like it should've been saved for the end. But still, that's their choice. The tension, the silence, the way it messes with your head - it all works. It stays with you. Overall, it's a really good film. Definitely worth watching!