The Woman in the Yard - The scoop and digest

Jaume Collet-Serra's psychological horror is written by Sam Stefanak (in his feature film debut) and scored by Lorne Balfe.

Danielle Deadwyler - Ramona

Okwui Okpokwasili - Woman

Peyton Jackson - Taylor

Estella Kahiha - Annie

Russell Hornsby - David

Summary

After her husband David died in a car crash, widowed single mother Ramona cares for her children Taylor and Annie.

When a mysterious lady draped in black appears in their yard (who's a dab hand at shadow magic by the way), Ramona begins acting strangely, suggesting she's hiding something.

Oh, this isn't a crossover of The Woman in Black.

(Laughs).

If Mediabreak's Jess Perkins in Robocop (1987) was reporting on the situation, I'm sure she'd say something like:

"Woman: Who is she? What is she? Where does she come from?

Questions have desperately predictable answers.

Today's the day

Decent idea is strangled by a boring script, lifeless characters, sub-par performances and turgid pacing.

Unhappy with her marriage and life, Ramona had an argument with David, crashed the jeep and killed him.  On doing so, she created the Woman, a physical manifestation of her psyche.

Yeah, another shitty derivative of Silent Hill.

Anyway, the Woman convinces Ramona to commit suicide, telling her the kids would be better off without her.

Ramona sends Taylor and Annie away and places a rifle under her chin.  Satisfied that she'll pull the trigger, the Woman disappears.

Err, okay.

She doesn't go through it and the kids return.

A downer ending would've hit harder and improved a very ordinary chore.