The Woman in the Window just stares at me… And, it’s kind of awkward.

By Elisabeth Joplin

I don’t really know where it went wrong with The Woman in the Window, the recent Netflix film release starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry and Wyatt Russell; but something tells me that if I look too close,I am going find something that I really didn’t want to…

The Woman in the Window (2021) can easily be described as a Rear Window remake, however the source material is from a novel of the same name, written by A.J Finn in 2018. But, just because something is taken from a more modern book, that doesn’t mean its initial inspiration didn’t come from one of Hitchcock’s famous films. I digress.

With director Joe Wright, whose filmography includes Pride and Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2007), and Darkest Hour (2017), you would expect nothing but a good story from a great director. Unfortunately, The Woman in the Window falls flat. The story itself cannot make up its mind, the pacing is all over the place, and some of the acting is so wooden that it makes the Star Wars prequels look good. Yeah, that’s right, I said it! And, as much as I love Amy Adams, I’m sorry, but this is not her best work.

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All three acts of this film are telling three completely different stories, and I genuinely don’t even think the writer knew where this story was going, with the contrived climax and third act that pulls a complete 180-degree turn, where you’re more confused than anything! The initial plot point is of a recluse believing she witnessed a murder, and this gets muddled within the main character, Anna’s, psychological haze regarding her separated husband and completely unnecessary conflict with David, her tenet that lives in the basement!

I’m still trying to figure out what I just watched. And, I’m not trying to figure it out in a fun way… but it’s more along the lines of ‘I’m never going to get that time back’ kind of way.

If I have anything good to say about this film, it’s that Brian Tyree Henry and Wyatt Russell had genuinely good performances. Russell clearly can hold the mantle of his family’s legacy, and his acting made me like a character that if I knew in real life, I probably would have punched him in the face just on general principle. Also, Brian Tyree Henry yet again flexes his incredible acting muscle in a performance that could have easily become cheesy and just plain ‘meh’.

I don’t have any actual sway in the world of film critiquing, however. If you need to kill an hour and a half, for whatever reason, sure! Go for it! But,if you are anticipating an incredible thriller starring Amy Adams, you’re not gonna find it in The Woman in the Window.