The Woman in the Yard is a new film from Jaume Collet-Serra produced by Blumhouse and distributed by Universal. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahiha, and Russell Hornsby. When a mysterious woman repeatedly appears in a family’s front yard, delivering chilling warnings, and unsettling messages, widow & single mother, Ramona (Deadwyler) has to protect her family at all costs.

When I heard there would be no press screening for this, I was surprised. Since getting on Universal’s press screening list a little over a year ago, this is the first film that has not had a screening. Needless to say, I expected the worst from this. Reviews weren’t awful, but they were certainly mixed. I’m glad I went in with an open mind, because I actually enjoyed this one. Further proof to just go see whatever you want to see and don’t let others tell you how to feel. That may be ironic coming from a critic, but I’m not here to sway people one way or the other. I’m here to add to the conversation.

I initially meant to see Death of a Unicorn after this. I was looking forward to that one more. With the reviews that one is getting, I’ll see it and review it eventually. Since I only saw this one over the weekend, I felt like my time at the movie theater felt validated. I can understand why people may not be enjoying this. The third act gets messy and convoluted for its own good, but there is something masterful with Jaume Collet-Serra’s direction and Danielle Deadwyler’s acting.

It’s always impressive when a director is able to pump out a film one after the next. We just saw that with Steven Soderbergh. Many may not even know this, but Jaume Collet-Serra last directed Netflix’s Carry-On that just came out a few months ago! That movie was a hit for the streaming service. You may not believe it comes from the same filmmaker, but the craft and the vision still shines through.

What I found so fascinating about Jaume Collet-Serra’s direction here is how consistently engaging it was. The film only stars 5 people and has a crisp 85 minute runtime. With what seems small on paper is grand on screen. The cinematography effectively uses Dutch shots to add to the eeriness of a scene. The lighting adds value to the plot. The sound design is creepy. On a technical level, this film soars.

On an emotional level, Jaume Collet-Serra balances this with the technical level. In under 85 minutes, we not only learn so much about this family, we sympathize with them. The film speaks on a lot of themes with trauma, and may even get darker than what audiences want. The performances Collet-Serra pulls out of everyone makes them feel like real people, including the kids. Every time I kept thinking there would be a slip up with the performances, Collet-Serra proved me wrong.

Ever since 2022’s Till, I’ve been questioning why Danielle Deadwyler isn’t in more movies. She was in Jaume Collet-Serra’s last movie, Carry-On, so there is already an established relationship there. Collet-Serra sees her talent though and puts her in full command whenever she is on screen. She is tremendous. Whenever her character has to make a tough decision, she helps the audience understand that she’s doing this out of love for her kids, not hate. It’s a performance that demands for her to be in bigger, leading roles after this.

The film does sort of fall apart in the third act. Instead of giving us a concrete answer, it makes us think more, which may be frustrating for someone who wants a real answer. I’m still trying to understand it. Instead, I think the film could have done more in the end to make sense of what we just saw. Still, I loved how it tackled its themes of grief and facing your demons.

Overall, The Woman in the Yard was a pleasant surprise. I feel like I may be in the minority who enjoys it. It just goes to show that if there’s something that interests you, go see it! Even if you don’t like it, it gives you something to talk about. The third act is a bit all over the place, but I think it serves its purpose by giving something viewers can dissect further.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)