The Woman in the Yard is a 2025 American psychological horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Sam Stefanak in his feature film screenwriting debut. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahiha, and Russell Hornsby.
The Woman in the Yard was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on March 28, 2025. It received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $23 million.
Plot
Ramona is a widowed single mother who was disabled after a car accident that killed her husband David. She cares for their two children Taylor and Annie, but she is strict and emotionally distant from them. A mysterious woman draped in black appears in the front yard claiming that “Today’s the day”. The Woman uses shadow magic to attack their dog Charlie who goes missing and is presumed dead.
Ramona tries to keep the kids away from the Woman, who seems to know the true circumstances around David’s death. Ramona made the kids think that he was driving and caused the accident, but it was really Ramona who was driving and crashed the car after an argument with David about her unhappiness with her life, marriage, and family. The Woman then seems to be using a dark power to antagonize the family and seemingly take the kids away. Ramona surrenders herself to the Woman and agrees to send the kids away for safety if she is going to die.
The Woman is revealed to be a physical manifestation of Ramona’s psyche and only appeared because Ramona was praying for her. When pressed what she prayed for she claims it was strength to carry on after David’s death, when in reality she was praying for the strength to end her life because of her depression. The Woman intends to help her commit suicide, convincing Ramona that the children are better off without her.
After Ramona says goodbye to her kids, the Woman leads her into the farm, assisting Ramona to point the rifle at herself. The children return along with the dog Charlie and the Woman disappears. They ask if the Woman will come back and Ramona assures them she will be ready. As they embrace, the camera pans into the house, revealing a painting Ramona had not finished that shows her and the Woman’s faces together with Ramona’s name spelled backward.
