
Streaming Services: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: The Woman in the Window
(2021)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Length: 100 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: 20th Century Studios, Fox
2000 Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, TSG Entertainment, Netflix
Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Tracy Letts, A.J. Finn
Actors: Amy Adams, Fred Hechinger, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore,
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jeanine Serralles,
Anthony Mackie, Mariah Bozeman
Blurb from IMDb: An agoraphobic woman living
alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors, only to witness a
disturbing act of violence.
Selina’s Point of View:
I figured
The
Woman in the Window would be an obvious inspiration of
Rear Window
(1954). I didn’t mind though, I’ve seen plenty of films that take the idea and
do something unique and interesting with it.
As it turns out,
this is not one of those films.
Roughly 15
minutes into it, there was a lack of something in dialogue that spoiled a good
portion for me. Not much later, during the death scene (most of which is
portrayed in the trailer) the viewpoint was so ridiculously obvious, that it
completed the equation. I knew exactly what would happen and how.
Predictability is
not always the death of a film. There are movies that use your expectations
against you. A great example would be
Knives Out (2019). You think you
know where it’s going from the beginning and, even if it didn’t have the twist
at the end, there was so much good about it – that it wouldn’t have mattered.
The ride would have still caused it to be a memorably good flick.
I can see that
the creative team involved in
The Woman in the Window tried to make the journey
intriguing enough that the inevitable outcome could be forgiven. They showed
this by including surreal aspects that served to distract from the plot.
Unfortunately,
even those distractions were completely expected. They just didn’t succeed.
Amy Adams (
Leap
Year, Trouble with the Curve, Nocturnal Animals) did absolutely own her
part. She needed a better script and something a little less basic to react to.
Gary Oldman (
The Dark Knight, Hunter Killer, Crisis), also, had some
scenes that made me truly fear him. Anthony Mackie (
The Falcon and the
Winter Soldier, The Banker, Synchronic) was a little wasted, though. He
only had a few lines and they mostly had him off-screen for them. You just can’t
waste Mackie like that. He’s too good.
I don’t think
The
Woman in the Window is razzie material, or anything. I just think it had
nothing that made it stand out. Nothing that made it special.
It’s certainly
not re-watchable.
Cat’s Point of View:
I was absolutely
intrigued by the trailer for
The Woman in the Window.
It’s not often
that a movie completely blindsides me in the final act. I found myself in
exactly that position – with my jaw agape as I stared at the screen. I didn’t
catch the clues – and the ones I thought I had picked up on led me astray with
my personal plot theories. Let me tell you when things fell into place, I got
chills.
There are so many
things I could babble about regarding
The Woman in the Window; however,
considering the nature of the mystery involved, I worry that I might spoil
something. The moment of the big reveal involved here could be likened to that
of another well-known movie… I just can’t even mention its name because I’m
afraid it would give away the twist.
I can at least
touch on cast and setting. The house where the majority of the film takes place
is absolutely gorgeous with its old wood flooring and the winding central
staircase. It’s utilized to great effect throughout the entire movie.
The cast did a
phenomenal job in bringing this tricky story to life. I do feel I need to
advise that I have not read the book which
The Woman in the Window was
based on, so I can’t advise whether or not it accurately or adequately captures
the essence of the novel. I can, however, say that Amy Adams and Gary Oldman were
in fine form. I felt their intensity and many moments left my pulse-pounding.
I will say that I
was confused at first that I didn’t see Anthony Mackie on screen much. I mean,
when you have talent like his available, why provide only minimal screen time?
Though, when it happens, there’s a significant “oh” moment that brings it all
together.
The
Woman in the Window
is a great movie to curl up with on a rainy night and sink into with a cup of
hot tea or a glass of your favorite wine. If you have a Netflix subscription, I
definitely recommend fans of the genre give it a whirl.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 25%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 40%
Metascore – 40/100
Metacritic User Score – 5.5/10
IMDB Score – 5.8/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
Movie Trailer:
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