Anyone who knows me knows that Alfred Hitchcock is my favorite director, and I consider Rear Window a masterpiece. So, when hearing that A.J Finn’s The Woman in the Window would be adapted to film, I was interested in how director Joe Wright would adopt this similar premise.
That curiosity would have to wait a few years because, similarly to The New Mutants, it would continue to be pushed back a few years until eventually settling on its May 14, 2021 release date – almost two years from its original date of October 4, 2019. After finally sitting and watching what this woman was looking at nearly two years later, Joe Wright constructs a workable suspense thriller that, despite its long delay, doesn’t deserve the abuse it’ll receive by critics and audiences alike.
The Woman in the Window follows Anna (Amy Adams), a child psychologist that has become agoraphobic. This disorder has her separated from her husband Ed (Anthony Mackie) and daughter because of it. She also suffers from depression and alcoholism, as seen by her engagement in mixing pills and wine throughout the film. Her constant visits with her therapist Dr. Landry (Letts), don’t seem to be helping as she continues to spiral into paranoia. When the new neighbors across the street move in – the Russells, father Alistair (Gary Oldman), mother Jane (Julianne Moore), and son Ethan (Fred Hechinger), Anna begins peering into their windows with her camera (Jimmy Stewart would be proud). One evening though, she witnesses the gruesome murder of Mrs. Russell at the hand of her husband. She reports the crime, but no one believes her.
What aids Joe Wright’s film is that he does not steer away from the Hitchcockian accusations that this film is a rip-off of Rear Window. Wright even includes the classic movie playing on Anna’s TV.
Now is The Woman in the Window a good film?
I would say it’s a mixed bag as The Woman in the Window spends the first half of the film with a slew of character introductions and constructing Anna’s state of distress and depression rather than building any suspense. While that may be seen as a stout move by Wright, the film has such a small cast that its patience with building tension and suspense hurts the overall product. The first half of the film may cause disinterest among audiences.
Another aspect of the film that is subpar is its predictability. While the film is filled with twists and turns, most of them are pretty predictable and can be quickly figured out if you pay enough attention to the film’s context clues. The predictable twists turn moments that should be full of shock and awe into some unintentionally laughable moments.
Despite the flaws, the film does carry a great score by the legendary Danny Elfman that aids in the film’s quieter moments. Bruno Delbonnel’s cinematography also stands out as a highlight with some shots resembling another Hitchcock masterpiece, Vertigo.
Along with the techs, the supporting players are all suitable in their performances. Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Wyatt Russell, Anthony Mackie, and Fred Hechinger all add to the film’s bright spots.
However, The Woman in the Window is the Amy Adams show. Adams is excellent in the movie as she genuinely captures Anna’s despair making cinephiles feel for her while also questioning who is telling the truth as the mystery unravels.
The Woman in the Window is far from a masterpiece. It’s not the dumpster fire I expected it to be, and it does feel like Joe Wrights’s twist on classic thrillers from yesteryear. Despite not everything working well in this film, The Woman in the Window does offer cinephiles a reason to wonder what precisely the woman is looking at from her window and a fitting end.
