THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOWS (2021) – A psychological thriller wannabe that fails at all levels
Rating: ⭐

Right from the onset, it is obvious that this film draws much of inspiration from Hitchcock movies, in particular his classic Rear Window (1954). The story about a woman confined in her home, and obsessed with look at her neighbours’ activities across the road from the safe distance behind the windows is a carbon copy of Hitchcock’s classic. However inspiration without the capabilities provides an outcome less than desirable. Not only does director Joe Wright fails to capture the mood and atmosphere of the mystery surrounding the story here, he also failed to benefit from a dream cast that includes Amy Adams in the lead, and Anthony Mackie, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore and Jennifer Jason Leigh. In fact I would go as far as saying Joe Wright is guilty of making his cast all perform like amateurs here, a feat that is not an easy thing to do given the vast amount of experience all these accomplished actors and actresses have. Surprising since Joe Wright has an impressive resume that includes Atonement, Darkest Hour and Pride & Prejudice.
Amy Adams plays a woman psychologist who is suffering from depression and a fear of leaving the confines of her house. The cause of this depression is not made known until much later as a plot device. Her state of mind puts her in a position of keeping in-doors constantly and invariably taking on the habit of spying on her neighbours across the road from her window. Like Hitchcock’s Rear Window, she soon witness what appears to be a murder in one of the houses and tries unsuccessfully to convince people of this. I don’t blame them, because I found it hard to be convinced by Amy Adams’ lack lustre performance. The predictable twists and turns towards the end are presented as a matter of fact with the supporting characters constantly behaving strangely and suspiciously.
The Woman In The Window is yet another failed original feature from Netflix. Despite the star studded cast, and the premise of a Hitchcockian thriller, this one only manages to annoy and ultimately feels like a waste of time.