Saagar Kote
Jaume Collet-Serra’s horror drama film, ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ centers on a family tormented by a mysterious woman who repeatedly appears in their front yard, delivering ominous and scary warnings, along with unsettling messages. This forces them to confront her identity, motives, and the potential danger she presents. Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler), a widowed mother disabled by a car accident that claimed her husband, David, struggles to connect emotionally with her two children, Taylor (Peyton Jackson) and Annie (Estella Kahiha), despite her strict demeanor. The arrival of the mysterious woman shatters their reality.
The film explores themes of family, fear, survival, the unknown, and the nature of reality, presenting a complex horror narrative that transcends typical ghost stories to focus on psychological terror. If you were captivated by the film’s visuals, concepts, and storytelling, you’ll find these movies similar to ‘The Woman in the Yard’ intriguing.
10. They Remain (2018)
Co-written and directed by Philip Gelatt, ‘They Remain’ is based on Laird Barron’s short story ‘-30-.’ The psychological horror film explores the actions of scientists Keith (William Jackson Harper) and Jessica (Rebecca Henderson), who investigate a horrific incident at a remote cult encampment. In the isolated place, they discover a mysterious artifact, leading Keith to experience paranoia and strange visions as he gradually loses his grip on reality. The film explores themes of illusion, sanity, dread, and psychological distress. Akin to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it depicts characters struggling with mental and emotional strain, where external horror is deeply connected to internal trauma. The claustrophobic and introspective tone further intensifies the psychological horror faced by the characters.
9. The Pact (2012)
Nicholas McCarthy’s ‘The Pact’ centers on Nichole Barlow (Agnes Bruckner), who travels to San Pedro with her daughter, Eva, for her mother’s funeral. She reaches out to her estranged sister, Annie, for help with unresolved matters. However, Annie is reluctant to return to their childhood home due to the past trauma inflicted by their mother. Nichole eventually persuades her to attend the funeral. Based on the director’s eponymous short film, the psychological drama film delves into themes of trauma, fear, isolation, and mental stability. Similar to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it portrays a woman in a vulnerable, transitional phase, confined to a house where she experiences a sense of being watched, haunted, or manipulated by a presence that could be either supernatural or symbolic.
8. Relic (2020)
In ‘Relic,’ Kay (Emily Mortimer) and her daughter, Sam (Bella Heathcote), journey to their ancestral home to aid the former’s aging and increasingly disoriented mother. However, they soon begin to sense a malevolent presence within the house as the elderly woman’s behavior becomes more erratic. The horror film delves into themes of psychological trauma, fear, sanity, and illusion. Director Natalie Erika James crafts a terrifying experience, enhanced by its distinctive visual aesthetic. Analogous to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it features a female-centric narrative, exploring themes of female loneliness and emotional burdens. It also depicts a woman grappling with her responsibilities as a caregiver or protector, confronting insurmountable challenges.
7. The Night House (2021)
With David Bruckner at the helm, ‘The Night House’ is a psychological horror film that follows a scenario where Beth Parchin (Rebecca Hall) grapples with the suicide of her husband, Owen Parchin (Evan Jonigkeit), leading her to heavy drinking and unresolved trauma. A supernatural presence prompts her to investigate and uncover unsettling secrets. The film delves into themes of loneliness, life, marriage, fear, and imagination. Similar to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it examines how grief and trauma warp perception, while transcending typical horror scares to explore profound philosophical and emotional truths regarding identity, justice, and the unseen forces influencing our lives. Both films are connected on a thematic and spiritual level as they offer commentary on the minds of women and the way they are perceived.
6. Cellar Door (2024)
In the horror thriller film ‘Cellar Door,’ Sera (Jordana Brewster) and John (Scott Speedman), a couple from the city, struggle to find their perfect home. Their luck changes when Emmett Claymore, a mysterious Portland socialite, offers them an irresistible deal of a grand 1918 manor without any strings attached. While Claymore insists his offer is genuine, the couple knows that such generosity often comes with a hidden cost. A subtle dread overshadows their seemingly flawless new life as they struggle to honor Claymore’s singular condition of not opening the cellar door of the house.
The Vaughn Stein directorial navigates the idea of temptation, trust, and desire. Similar to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it looks at how unresolved truths can lead to danger, and how the element of trust can upend an otherwise normal and healthy relationship. Both films also feature a commentary on the darkness hidden behind the illusions of a happy family.
5. Oddity (2024)
Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, ‘Oddity’ is an Irish supernatural horror film that follows the brutal murder of a psychiatrist’s wife, Dani Odello-Timmis (Carolyn Bracken), in her new country home. The killing sets the stage for a chilling investigation. Her clairvoyant twin sister, Darcy (also played by Carolyn Bracken), delves into the crime, unearthing a sinister plot involving Dani’s husband, Ted. Darcy’s relentless quest for the truth culminates in a terrifying clash with malevolent forces, leading to a shocking narrative filled with fear. Analogous to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it uses fear as an instrument for connection with the unknown and the supernatural, while also exploring the darker sides of grief and acceptance. The feminist themes of both films, which look at trauma from a feminine perspective, bring the narratives closer together on a spiritual level.
4. Run Rabbit Run (2023)
‘Run Rabbit Run’ by Daina Reid delves into the life of Sarah (Sarah Snook), a fertility doctor whose grasp of the life cycle is profound. Yet, she is compelled to question her convictions and face a past trauma when her young daughter’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre. Her role as a mother is challenged, and her sense of control, security, and self is destabilized by her daughter’s unsettling transformation. The psychological horror film delves into dark themes such as generational trauma, family, the idea of motherhood, and the feminine soul. In ways similar to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it navigates the insecurities of a maternal figure while also dealing with the elements of horror. In both films, the psychological toll of guilt and emotions drives the story in different ways, bringing characters into situations of fear and insecurity.
3. Cobweb (2023)
The psychological horror film ‘Cobweb’ follows the life of a young boy named Peter (Woody Norman), who is plagued by a mysterious, constant noise from inside his bedroom wall, something that his parents insist is in his imagination. As his fear intensifies, he starts to believe that his parents are hiding a terrible and dangerous secret from him. The Samuel Bodin directorial explores the themes of fear, psychology, darkness, and the insecurities of children. In ways similar to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it navigates the idea of repression of feelings, the dread of parenthood, the dark secrets of families, and the inevitability of trauma. Both films have protagonists who are silenced by the environment around them and struggle to stay afloat as stable individuals.
2. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), an ambitious lawyer aiming for a senior partner position, defends Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) in the horror drama film ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose.’ Moore, a Catholic diocesan priest, faces negligent homicide charges after a 19-year-old student, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), dies during an attempted exorcism by the religious man.
Despite the archdiocese’s desire for him to plead guilty to avoid public scrutiny, Moore maintains his innocence and fights the legal system with Erin’s help. Akin to ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it explores the idea of truth within a fearful setting. The Scott Derrickson directorial is partially inspired by the real-life case of Anneliese Michel. Both films delve into ambiguous horror, where the supernatural and psychological intertwine, simultaneously critiquing systemic invalidation of personal experiences.
1. Smile (2022)
A sequel to Parker Finn’s short film ‘Laura Hasn’t Slept,’ ‘Smile’ revolves around Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), a therapist who faces terrifying, unexplainable events after a bizarre, traumatic incident where a patient kills herself. As overwhelming terror consumes her, she must confront her troubling past to survive her new, horrifying reality. The psychological horror movie explores how fear is an unstoppable force that keeps spreading due to the insecurities of human beings. Despite the seemingly supernatural occurrences in the storyline, the Parker Finn directorial is a grounded take on dread, isolation, panic, and the unknown.
Like ‘The Woman in the Yard,’ it explores how the gaslighting of victims can lead to greater tragedy. Both films suggest that rather than disappearing, unacknowledged trauma spreads, infects, and haunts people, becoming more difficult to escape the longer it is denied, while also commenting on how the negligence of mental health can lead to dangerous outcomes.
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