“When the sun is bright and the wind is still, she comes to you like a sudden chill. Draped in black from head to toe, how she got there, you’ll never know.” With that cryptic warning, an otherworldly woman sends a family into a seemingly inescapable nightmare. Already grieving the death of her husband, Ramona faces a new fear when this mysterious figure appears outside her farmhouse. With the woman continually creeping closer, Ramona must protect her children from the chilling grasp of this haunting entity whose unknown intentions are anything but peaceful. From Blumhouse, producers of The Invisible Man and The Black Phone.
“Draped in black from head to toe, how she got there, you’ll never know.”
Review –
I’m always up for a psychological thriller, so I was exited to check out The Woman in the Yard when it showed up for review—because the trailer caught my attention when I saw it a few months back. For a horror film to really land, it needs the right mix of suspense and storytelling to draw you in and makes you care… or at least that’s one of my takes on horror.
We get a quick intro to the central family, and then the unsettling stranger shows up in the yard.. it’s a pretty minimalistic approach, but one that can be super effective if it pays off. What follows from there on out is a series of eerie encounters and unexplained noises, eventually leading to her full-on disruption into their world. The whole idea of a film is given, so you do get the meaning to her presence, but the explanation could have been better. I am a fan when you can leave things up to interpretation, but I think this one leans on the vague side of things.
As usual with most horror moviews, The Woman in the Yard had a lot promise, but at just 88 minutes, there wasn’t enough time to fully develop the story. I needed more time to have an emotional stake to support the films ambitions. In the end, it feels like a near miss because it skims the surface and never quite delivers the deep impact that I always crave.
Conclusion –
The Woman in the Yard sets its sights high but ultimately falls short, delivering an experience that comes into the ‘watch it once’ type of category at best. Honestly, I don’t know if I could reccomend purchasing it, you could find it and watch if it streams on a service you already pay for. No matter what you decide to do, you can grab a copy at your local retailer on Blu-ray today.
Are you a fan? Will you be picking it up to own? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Cheers,
Matt.
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