‘The Woman In The Window’ Review- Amy Adams Shines, Even As The Film Fails To Thrill
This film streamed in 2021.
The Woman In The Window is a psychological thriller directed by Joe Wright. It was produced by 20th Century Studios and released on Netflix.
Dr. Anna Fox (Amy Adams) is a child psychiatrist who suffers from agoraphobia, forcing her to be separated from her husband Edward (Anthony Mackie) and their daughter Olivia (Mariah Bozeman), who live away from her Manhattan home. Psychiatrist Dr. Landy (Tracy Letts) visits her, and she rents her basement to aspiring musician David Winter (Wyatt Russell). One day, she sees a new family move in across the street, and their teenage son Ethan (Fred Hechinger) comes over with a candle as a gift.
He reveals that his wealthy father Alistair Russell (Gary Oldman) can be controlling. Later, when her house is attacked by trick-or-treaters, she faints but is saved by Alistair’s wife Jane (Julianne Moore). They form a bond, and she later spies on David visiting her. However, she hears a scream and looks across the street to see Alistair in a rage and Jane with a stab wound. After calling the police, it is revealed that not only is Jane alive, but she is an entirely different person (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Anna begins to unravel as she begins to doubt her own sanity, but she cannot let go of the feeling that something is wrong.
Honestly, I did not get any sense of dread or doom despite the movie being billed as a psychological thriller. Sure, it had a lot of clues to follow and has an interesting twist at the end, but it just never gave me chills like a good thriller does. It was not a bad film, but I felt like it lacked a certain amount of fear to make me afraid of what could happen next.
That being said, Amy Adams did an excellent job. She is a truly talented actress who made me feel empathetic for her character. She brought the movie to life for me, and she performed well as usual. Likewise, Gary Oldman does an excellent job with his performance and truly brings his character to life.
It is said that the movie is based on a novel by A.J. Finn, but I have not read it, so I do not know where it squares up as an adaptation.
Bottom line, The Woman in the Window is a mediocre movie that somewhat fails in its genre but has a stellar star who keeps you invested in the story.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Disturbing images, Strong foul language
FAVORITE QUOTE: You don’t think it’s paranoid if I wanna change the locks. Do you?
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review.