The Woman in the Yard (2025)
The Woman in the Yard (2025) is a psychological horror-thriller directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Sam Stefanak. Produced by Blumhouse and Universal, the film stars Danielle Deadwyler as Ramona, a grieving widow recovering from a car crash that claimed her husband’s life. Alongside her two children, Ramona moves into a remote rural farmhouse, where she begins experiencing a terrifying presence: a silent, veiled woman who appears in their yard each day, never moving, only repeating the phrase, “Today’s the day.”
As the figure edges closer over time, a surreal and suspenseful standoff develops between Ramona and the increasingly menacing visitor. The film explores themes of trauma, loss, guilt, and maternal fear, balancing eerie supernatural elements with an emotional portrait of a family struggling to stay together.
The atmosphere is one of the film’s greatest strengths. Cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, known for his work on Hereditary and Midsommar, brings an unsettling visual tone to the film. Static wide shots, long silences, and shadowy lighting build a lingering sense of dread. Composer Lorne Balfe adds to this with a minimalist, haunting score that mirrors Ramona’s descent into psychological unease.
Danielle Deadwyler delivers a powerhouse performance, embodying deep emotional complexity and resilience. Her portrayal of a mother fighting both internal and external demons carries the entire narrative, even as the script occasionally stumbles. Child actors Peyton Jackson and Estella Kahiha lend realism to the story, making the family dynamic feel authentic and emotionally charged.
Critics praised the film’s slow-burn tension and eerie tone in the early acts, but many felt the story loses momentum and coherence in the final third. Some described the ending as muddled or overly symbolic, with the central mystery never fully landing its payoff. The film has drawn mixed reactions overall: praised for style, mood, and performance, but criticized for weak narrative execution and familiar genre tropes.
Thematically, the film attempts to bridge psychological horror with Southern gothic elements—drawing from family trauma, folklore, and rural isolation. While this combination creates a strong emotional undercurrent, the shifts in tone throughout the film can feel jarring or inconsistent.
Commercially, The Woman in the Yard had a modest production budget of around $12 million and grossed approximately $23 million worldwide. It premiered in theaters in late March 2025 and was released on digital platforms shortly after. It became available for streaming on Peacock within weeks of its theatrical run.
