Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray and Digital from director Jaume Collet-Serra and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes a tale of death and shock over THE WOMAN IN THE YARD.

Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) is the mother of Taylor (Peyton Jackson) and Annie (Estella Kahiha) as they are grieving the loss of her husband David (Russell Hornsby). Healing from her own wounds, she finds herself struggling to get back into life. During breakfast, Annie notices a woman sitting across the street from their home, just sitting. Taylor wants to be the first to question her but Ramona grabs her crutches and tries to converse with the woman dressed in black (Okwui Okpokwasili).

Not getting any answers from the woman, Ramona returns to the house and tells the children to stay away from her and starts locking down the house. Then the woman moves closer to the house and Taylor feels the need to get rid of the woman. Ramona is becoming frustrated with him as the boy pulls up a chair and watches the woman outside. Also, outside is the family dog Charlie who senses danger.

Unable to go for help herself, the tension inside the house grows as the woman gets closer and closer. Taylor has had enough and confronts the woman only to discover that it is Ramona keeping secrets from her children. That’s not enough to help the family as they struggle to find a safe way out but will it come in time to save them?

Deadwyler as Ramona is a woman dealing with the loss of her husband and all that goes with it. Her wounds are not only physical but emotional that causes her to detach from the children that need her. Deadwyler gives a strong performance showing the struggle of it all and not realizing that she causing her family more pain. There is a fusion of what she knows is true and what lies out in their yard and it is painful for her.

Jackson as Taylor is a teenager who thinks he knows everything. Angry at his mother for her finding respite in sleep, he lashes out, is hurtful and thinks he is doing the right things no matter what she says. I’m not a fan of teen angst so if the idea was for me to dislike the kid, well, he did a great job of making that happen. Kahiha as Annie is a sweet little girl who is also dealing with the loss of her dad and is sad seeing her mother becoming a shell of a person. Yet, she is also a strong little girl who refuses to give into what ever is trying to break her family up. This young actress is just amazing from start to finish.

Okpokwasili as the Woman is frightening as she sits in a chair covered in a black dress and veil. I can’t even imagine how anyone would deal with seeing this figure appear out of nowhere and mystically move closer to a home. What a chance to play a mysterious figure and keep us all waiting for that veil to lift!!

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

Blumhouse Productions is known for producing horror films such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, INSIDIOUS, SINISTER, THE PURGE, THE GIFT, GET OUT, HAPPY DEATH DAY and SPLIT. The films from Blumhouse have become instant classics and they continue to give us something to scream about! See more at www.blumhouse.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Features include Making THE WOMAN IN THE YARD and Beneath the Veil.

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD is a thriller that will leave people guessing from one scene to the next. The twists and turns are made even more so because the film is located in one specific and isolated place. I enjoy the kind of film that keeps me locked into that space because it begins to feel as if there is no way out of that wide open space. In fact, it is mesmerizing watching Taylor just stare out the window as the woman moves closer and closer.

The drama is full on intense and the secrets are subtle in trying to understand what this family is going through. It is a look at sadness, grief, hurt, secrets and what that can bring into a home trying to force a mother and her children apart. The anger that surrounds them fogs the real issues that they are facing and more importantly, blinds them to the answers outside their own front door.

Keeping the cast basically inside the house, there is nowhere to hide as Deadwyler, Jackson and young Kahiha provide every human emotion possible in the one hour and twenty-eight-minute run for their lives. Turn out the lights, cuddle up on the sofa with a fluffy security blanket and settle in for a story that lives in the darkness right along with you.

In the end – don’t let her in!

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