The Woman in the Yard Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Woman in the Yard Blu-ray Movie Review

Get off my lawn.

Reviewed by Justin Dekker June 5, 2025

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra ('Black Adam', 'Orphan') and produced by Blumhouse ('M3GAN' 'Wolf Man (2025)'), 'The Woman in the Yard' arrives on Blu-ray in this new Collector's Edition courtesy of Universal. Danielle Deadwyler ('Carry-On', 'Till') as Ramona headlines a small cast that includes Okwui Okpokwasili ('Agatha All Along', 'The Exorcist: Believer'), and young actors Peyton Jackson and Estella Kahiha. The technical merits for the release are solid and a modest amount of on-disc supplemental material is available for perusal. Both a slipcover and a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere are included.

Through the use of flashbacks, viewers learn before the film begins to follow Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) and her children Taylor and Annie that the family experienced a tragedy. Ramona's husband, David, was killed in a car accident that left her with a badly hurt leg and reliant on crutches, an injury from which she is still recovering. The state of the long, jagged wound that mars her leg serves to inform the viewer of the relative recency of the accident. One day, as the family is trying to acclimate to life as a trio, a mysterious woman appears in the yard of the remote Georgia farmhouse where the family lives. She's seated, wearing a long black dress with a black veil obscuring her face. Were it not for the wind teasing her garments, she would be utterly motionless. Her point of origin is a mystery. Though she is some distance from the house, Ramona, Tyler and Annie find her presence to be increasingly unsettling, ominous, and menacing. After Ramona's initial conversation with her generates more questions and unease than it does answers, the three do their best to ignore her. They hope against hope that she will disappear just as mysteriously as she appeared. But as the woman appears to be drawing nearer to the house, tensions, frustrations, and fears begin to boil over. Who is the woman in the yard? What does she want? And what will become of them?

Horror films are filled with antagonists that relentlessly stalk their intended victims. Some like the Mummy or "classic" zombies (Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead) proceed very slowly; so slowly that one believes a steady slow jog is all that would be required to escape to safety. For the less ambitious, even a brisk walk might do the trick. Others, like werewolves or "modern" zombies (28 Days Later, Train to Busan) are much more fleet of foot, requiring those in their proximity to think fast and move faster. Still others, such as Jason from the Friday the 13th franchise and others of his ilk are relatively human and move at an untiring but still unmistakably normal pace. There are few films that spring to mind where the physical embodiment of the the threat facing our heroes is so determinedly sedentary. While the viewer never saw them move, the Weeping Angels which first appeared during David Tenant's run on the enduring and much-beloved series Doctor Who were terrifying. A quick glance would render them indistinguishable from other elements of statuary that stand guard over cemeteries the world over. But closer examination reveals sinister visages complete with fangs, and every time someone takes their eyes off them, they inexplicably and rapidly move forward and close in on their prey. They're supernaturally fast in these moments, so much so that when one encounters them, the best (though initially seemingly preposterous) advice is, "Don't blink".

Without spoiling much of the film, The Woman in the Yard, somewhat like a certain Alice was keen to do, would have us believe several impossible things in order to give it even a ghost of a chance of creating a credible plot and dramatic tension. The first is that, though set in modern times, no one has a working cell phone. In an age when many children have some sort of device when they are first bundled off to school and almost certainly by the time they reach middle school, we're asked to accept the fact that neither Ramona nor her children have a way to communicate with anyone outside the walls of their house. Second, the viewer is obliged to accept that the arrival of the titular Woman is occurs almost simultaneously with the home's loss of electric service. Third, while Ramona is barely ambulatory due to her leg injury and therefore it's understandable why she and her children couldn't just walk to the home of the neighbor down the road, it is mystifying why she wouldn't allow her healthy, able-bodied teenage son to do so in search of help the instant thing started getting weird. But as any of these would significantly undermine the film if not ultimately negate it, the viewer is instead asked to believe these three impossible things, for a start.

That task accomplished, the appearance of the Woman is, at first, puzzling. She doesn't seem overtly hostile or aggressive. And while she offers more questions than she does answers, and though her style of dress is antiquated and she's relatively featureless due to being covered from head to toe, the most unusual thing about her is the quality of voice which is given a spooky resonance. Tension slowly builds in inside the house, though, as the family finds her presence to be somewhere between irritating an haunting, amplifying the loss of electricity, the loss of David, and essentially being cut-off from the rest of the world. Comments lead to bickering, leading to confrontations and fighting. And the woman slowly draws nearer.

But under The Woman in the Yard's black veil there's a struggle for focus and an unresolved quest for identity. Is this psychological horror? Is the Woman a new and different boogeyman here to judge those for past transgressions and dole out punishment or to exact her pound of flesh for current misdeeds? As the film first veers down one path, then the other, and back again, the answer, it seems, is both and neither. This lack of definitive identity and purpose serves as it's undoing as neither construct is wholly satisfied. Events transpire that lead to only to questions rather than to building further tension or generating fear. Had the film focused on the family drama and excised the horror elements, the tale of Ramona and her children facing loss in rural Georgia could have been captivating. If the film opted to run with the Woman as a new malevolent force in the manner of Freddy, Michael, or Candyman, all would likewise have been well. Going a purely psychological route where the viewer never quite knew what to believe as someone (or everyone) in the house descended into madness would have been equally compelling. As it stands, though, too much of the viewer's time required to attempt to suss out how these seemingly disparate pieces fit together for any of them to adequately work their magic and translate into the necessary amount of terror.

The Woman in the Yard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While the film may be called The Woman in the Yard, the project spends a substantial amount of time with the family in the increasingly gloomy house. Since the electricity is out as the film opens, natural light is the order of the day, so the early morning hours are dim, things brighten as the family either goes outside or the sun reaches its zenith, and then darken dramatically as afternoon gives way to evening and eventually succumbs to night. Universal provides a typically strong 1080p presentation, with high levels of fine detail on display. Clothing particulars, such as denims and the lacey intricacies of the Woman's veil, are pleasingly tactile and are available for inspection. Wood grain is easily visible in interior and exterior environments, and the various knick-knacks and clutter of daily family life are easy to investigate and appreciate during daylight hours. Skin tones are healthy and natural, and colors are nicely saturated. The inside of the house, though, as day darkens into night, can be a bit murky at times, but given the tone and focus of the film, that murkiness may be more intentional than anything else. Still, I'm given to believe that those darkened rooms may be more easily plumbed and sharpened in a 4K presentation. That said, it's a very healthy and satisfying video presentation.

The Woman in the Yard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Woman in the Yard has been equipped with an effective and efficient English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio track. Largely dialog-driven, voices are typically kept front and center. They're clean and understandable at all times. Directionality is precise and accurate. Surrounds are frequently put to good use in support of underscoring and environmental sounds. Bass presence is more than sufficient to add depth to the frequent thump of Ramona's crutches as she maneuvers around the farmhouse and the yard, and it provides a sinister edge to sound effects where and when appropriate. The pivotal car crash is particularly impressive, the bass adding realistic crunch while the surrounds delight with the delicacies of tinkling glass. It's an obvious sonic highlight. While not consistently immersive, it is so frequently, keeping the viewer in the middle of the action in the film's limited and confined locations.

The Woman in the Yard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Woman in the Yard is outfitted with two short on-disc supplements.

• Making 'The Woman in the Yard' (8.03) - Director Jaume Collet-Serra, producer Jason Blum, and others including actors Danielle Deadwyler and Peyton Jackson, speak at a high-level about the project, each other, and their characters. While this segment doesn't provide a significant volume of information, Jaume Collet-Serra's input is of particular interest, affording insight into his intentions.

• Beneath the Veil (5.02) - Actor Okwui Okpokwasili and others share their thoughts with regard to the role, nature, and symbolism of the Woman. Though brief, Okpokwasili's thoughts are especially appreciated.

The Woman in the Yard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The two greatest strengths The Woman in the Yard has is the presence of its two leads, Danielle Deadwyler and Okwui Okpokwasili. Deadwyler believably conveys her anguish, grief, frustration, fear, and a range of other emotions as a mother who is coping with the loss of her spouse while trying help her children grieve and still be an effective parent. She executes the larger confrontational and smaller intimate moments with equal ease. On the other side of the coin, Okpokwasili's portrayal of the Woman is largely purposefully understated but nonetheless effective. Her striking features allow her easily and subtly transition from beautiful to malevolent with minimal make-up with her innate grace crafting a creepy screen personae. Their performances, as winsome as they are, are hampered by a film which can't quite decide upon a cohesive and consistent identity; its muddled sense of purpose leading more to questions instead of screams. Though the supplemental material is as light as the Woman's long black veil, technical merits are strong for those considering a purchase.