Like many films released during the global pandemic, The Woman in the Window seems fitting as the movie spends the duration of its plot inside the house of an agoraphobic. The film’s homebound protagonist is dealing with trauma, days filled with pills and wine, and is stricken with an anxiety disorder. The movie is meant to present the claustrophobic nature of her surroundings while also playing with the elements of mystery as a homage to Hitchcockian thriller Rear Window. The Woman in the Window is based on the bestselling novel by A.J. Finn and helmed by director Joe Wright, whose previous projects include Pride & Prejudice and Atonement.
Dr. Anna Fox (Adams) is a child psychologist with agoraphobia and an anxiety disorder who has been holed up in her Harlem house, separated from her husband (Anthony Mackie) for almost a year. Anna spends her time drinking wine with her meds, spying on her neighbors, and routinely updating her therapist. When the Russells move into the house across from her, they become Anna’s new subjects of interest. She meets their teenage son, Ethan (Fred Hechinger), who gifts her with a scented candle and shows signs of emotional fragility. Next, she meets Jane Russell (Julianne Moore) and has an impromptu night of wine and conversation where these two strangers partially confess to each other about their lives. One night, Anna witnesses the murder of Jane from across the street through her window and struggles to decipher what is real and what isn’t.
The Woman in the Window attempts to channel Rear Window, occasionally noting the similarities between Hitchcock’s movie and David Fincher’s Gone Girl, and attempts to bring a rise to the thriller genre. However, this psychological thriller has nowhere near the craft, design, and mystery of Hitchcock and Fincher’s films, rather far from it. The Woman in the Window is a muddled, slow, and clunkily paced film that teases the possibility of a worthy ending, but the revelation is sloppy. The heightened drama involved in the plot plays into Anna’s fear of being watched inside her home and being gaslighted by the other characters. This fear is ramped up to a dull ending that pays nothing to the resolution.
Even with a star-studded cast like Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Brian Tyree Henry, the movie does not bring out the best in these actors. In a scene where Anna asks Ethan about his mother’s whereabouts, Alistair Russell (Gary Oldman) appears and hits his son. Anna pleads to Alistair that he should not hit his son, while he confronts her and corners her as he shouts at her to leave his family alone. Anna is trembling as Alistair continues to ferociously yell at her face while calling her names and assuring her that the police would not believe someone like her. The addition of Leigh’s character as the real Jane Russell is wasted, as she plays the most miserable wife. Anna’s husband, Ed, has conversations with her and is mostly offscreen. However, Adams’ performance is intense and remarkable as she reveals her character’s instability and mental state through anxious trembles from battling with inner demons, both evoking sympathetic and frightening emotions. Known for playing emotionally resilient and coherent characters, Adams delivers the compelling performance we’ve come to expect from her.
Wright’s visual direction brings an additional flair to the seemingly broken psychological thriller. He conveys Anna’s perspective by shifting through flashback scenes of her traumatic experience, the visions of snow falling constantly, and the claustrophobic and disordered environment inside her home. Wright’s visual aestheticism summons Anna’s inner demons and trauma and brings flair and sensibility to the scenes with innovative camerawork.
The Woman in the Window starts with the hopeful build-up of a promising psychological thriller but fizzles out at the climax. The idea that an unhinged woman is begging to be believed by the other characters in the story is hard to watch, as it is the reality most women face. The movie offers a solid build-up but the ending is ultimately anticlimactic. There are moments where the cracks start to reveal themselves, predicting what might happen next. Adams presents a shattered character with great care, occasionally performing through a sloppy script and reshoots. It’s safe to say that The Woman in the Window does not care to deliver a clear resolution, nor does it care to keep the viewer interested for long. Perhaps this movie is not meant for everyone, but for those who prefer melodrama, this movie is for you.
