1,115 days after the announcement that Amy Adams would be leading the film adaptation of A. J. Finn's New York Times bestseller of the same, The Woman in the Window finally sees the light of day. Originally scheduled for release in 2019, before being delayed to 2020 and subsequently kicked around by the pandemic, it finds a home on Netflix after having its theatrical release shelved.
An agoraphobic psychologist spends her days spying on her neighbours but when she witnesses a disturbing act of violence, she finds herself dragged into a danger that exacerbates her trauma and questions her sanity. Directed by Joe Wright, adapted for the screen by Tracy Letts, and starring an ensemble including Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julianne Moore, is The Woman in the Window worth a viewing?
A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, The Woman in The Window is never any less than an engaging thriller that wears its influences on its sleeve. Whether you have read the source material or not, there's a familiarity to The Woman in the Window that both helps and hinders the piece: practically namedropping Hitchcock, it never escapes the immense shadow of the master of cinema's superior work, but it also provides the picture with a playfulness that accentuates the somewhat trashiness in which this sub-genre - particularly as it stood on the page - has thrived.
The Woman in the Window's rocky journey to the screen is ironed out considerably by Joe Wright's sleek - and, importantly, interesting - direction. Artistically directed, and doing a tremendous job of capturing Anna Fox's paranoid state of mind, the film delivers a real sense of suspense, even for those of us aware of the twists and turns the narrative poses. Attempting to escape the story's conventionality, the well-crafted sequences - aided by some terrific production design and cinematography, courtesy of Bruno Delbonnel - demonstrate a director intent on delivering more than a straight-forward, potboiler thriller. It may not always work but it is, at the very least, never boring.
Amy Adams delivers a reliably impressive turn with a performance that grounds the character's paranoia and mental state with which the character is practically engulfed by. Characterised by unique flourishes that build a layered depiction of a troubled soul, her committed work alleviates the bumps in the screenplay, enthralling us throughout. While Adams thrives, few others make their mark on the film. Mackie, Moore and Henry are all under-utilised, Jason Leigh is arguably miscast and Oldman is, with all due respect, dreadful. It's left to Adams to carry the piece but thankfully, she's up to the task.
In spite of my enjoyment, it is a shame that The Woman in the Window couldn't be more. Rumours of a negative test screening back in 2019 led the film to undergo a major retooling, with the original "avant-garde" score composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross being replaced by the still-impressive composition by Danny Elfman. The suggestion that the original vision of the film was a more artful affair that would inject the picture with a feeling of prestige would allow it to rise above a crowded sub-genre is an intriguing one; as it stands, it's a solid entry but the somewhat disjointed approach - conventional story meets artistic direction that flits tone regularly - does hold it back.
The Woman in the Window isn't perfect, and it might not even be particularly good, but it's certainly enjoyable if approached with the right mindset thanks to handsome production values, artistic direction and a terrific central performance from one of the greatest actors working today. A film that, for better or for worse wears its influences on its sleeve, The Woman in the Window is worth peering into if you're after a fun thriller - but not if you're searching for the next major award season contender.