The Woman in the Window (2021)

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: