Source: IMDb
After being delayed many times for various reasons, the film adaptation of the psychological thriller The Woman in the Window finally premiered on Netflix last May 14. Naturally, people rushed to their devices and watched the much-awaited motion picture directed by Atonement director Joe Wright.
The movie features a powerhouse cast led by award-winning actor Amy Adams who plays the role of Anna Fox, the titular woman in the window. She is a child psychologist who is unable to leave her brownstone home due to her debilitating agoraphobia. She routinely observes her neighbors and all other street activities from her window as a way to pass the time. A new family moves into the house across from hers, which kicks off a series of complex yet exciting twists and turns meant to keep the audience on their toes.
The flick showed great potential in its early days of production, and film buffs expressed their excitement to watch the movie. Some even considered it to have a great potential in becoming a contender for Best Film at the Oscars. However, much to the chagrin of movie enthusiasts and critics alike, the highly anticipated movie fell short of people’s high expectations. This is apparent in the generally unfavorable reviews it received on film review sites. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 26%, IMDb rated it a 5.7/10, whereas Metacritic showed a score of 41%.
One critic on Rotten Tomatoes wrote, “The Woman in The Window plays host to some solid elements but ultimately succumbs to its complexity.” While another thought, “The Woman in the Window explores disability in an intimate way, yet ultimately returns to a cultural status quo.”
This less-than-stellar performance can be attributed to a number of reasons, the first of which is when it went through a significant change in management when Disney bought the film’s studio, Fox 2000 Pictures. It also underwent multiple reshoots and re-edits due to the feedback of test audiences citing a baffling and complicated storyline. There is also the challenge of being compared to critically-acclaimed movies of the same genre, such as Gone Girl and The Girl On the Train. These are just a few of the hurdles that the movie and its team had to overcome. It is safe to say that just like its plotline, the production of this Netflix film went through a long and winding road of hardships and difficulties, which may have impacted the final result and end product.
Of course, the movie is not devoid of praise and substance. People are quick to commend the cast’s excellent acting chops and consider it to be the movie’s saving grace. The picture also helped bring to light one of the most rampant yet rarely talked about problems in society – mental health struggles and substance abuse issues.
Despite being not so well-received, some still consider the newly released movie to be a good watch, especially those who love anything under the suspense and thriller genre. At the end of the day, an individual’s preference will still dictate if they find The Woman in the Window to be worth watching.
References:
https://time.com/6048326/woman-in-the-window-review-netflix/
