Review: The Woman in the Window


Anna (Amy Adams) is a woman who suffers from agoraphobia and spends her days watching old movies, drinking wine, and spying on her neighbors. When she witnesses a crime, the police don't find her to be the most reliable witness given her history.

I read the book this is based on a few years ago and really enjoyed it. (Before I learned about the author and man, what a trainwreck. I probably wouldn't have picked the book up had I known that.) Because of that, I was very cautious about this film adaptation despite loving Amy Adams. Not all mystery novels translate well on screen. Girl on a Train was a good example of a book I loved feeling a bit too Lifetime-y. So when this started getting negative reviews, it wasn't a surprise, but I still wanted to watch.

And honestly...it's not that bad. For a Netflix movie, it's perfectly fine. The film leans heavily into Rear Window territory, which I never felt while reading the book despite the similarities. It's very well shot for a movie that takes place entirely in a dank house.

Adams is wonderful in this role, and I knew she would be. The film boasts a very strong supporting cast in Brian Tyree Henry, Anthony Mackie, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh Wyatt Russell, and Fred Hechinger though none of them get a ton to do compared to Adams. Russell and Hechinger come close. I liked them in their roles, they played out pretty much exactly as I read them in the book. Gary Oldman was the biggest dud for me surprisingly. He's just there to be an asshole, which is essentially what the book was like too, but I felt like there was more to him there.

The film does cut a pretty big part of the novel out, which is Anna's online friend. Because of that, I felt like the 3rd act doesn't get the development it needed because we hadn't seen her build this virtual relationship. I felt that answered a lot of questions that are just kind of rushed through in the movie. 

Overall, this might not be the Oscar contender some were hoping it to be, but it's a good Netflix watch and a must see for any Amy Adams fan.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: C+

Memorable quote: "She has issues with privacy." - David (Wyatt Russell)

Comments

  1. I do like Amy Adams but I don't know. Joe Wright has been off his game lately and I wanted to see when it was to involve Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for its soundtrack but things went bad following some test screenings and this is the film we got in the end.

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    1. I'm curious what they changed to make it this. lol

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  2. Hmmm....I haven’t heard of this film and now I am intrigued by the story behind the author and the man. This kind of reminded me of a film starring Sigourney Weaver...it’s an excellent little gem.

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    1. I think I found that big NYT piece on the author about a week or so after I read the book. I was not expecting that.

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  3. Oh I'm so glad to read a review from someone who's read the book! That's so interesting about the 3rd act, because that's the only part I didn't really enjoy.

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    1. It was still pretty surprising in the book but it at least made sense how it ended up being that person and how he gathered enough intel on her to trick her.

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  4. I blogged about this on my Netflix post but haven't got around to it yet. I still would watch this for Amy Adams, but man some people on social media are so mean about her. First that Hillbilly movie, now this, ouch. I forgot this is a Joe Wright film, I like quite a few of his work.

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    1. I normally like Wright too but he's been missing for me lately. This movie isn't nearly as bad as Hillbilly Elegy so I don't get the drama. lol

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