Movie rant: The Woman in the Window

Sundays sometimes make me really confused. Confused about whether to watch a movie or to read something or call friends. Last Sunday I went the movie route and watched a thriller on Netflix called The Woman in the Window. It is adapted from A J Finn’s novel of the same name and stars Amy Adams and Gary Oldman, with a guest appearance from Julianne Moore. I have not read the book and had no idea about its existence. Netflix had been suggesting this movie to me since last month so I thought I’ll give it a go finally.

It is an average movie at best. I had no qualms about the plot, it looked very interesting. Amy Adams’ character is a child psychologist who lives alone in a Boston neighbourhood, with a tenant in her basement. She is agoraphobic and depressed so she spends her time having sessions with her therapist and spying on her neighbours. Joe Wright’s direction is something I’m very fond of and this movie feels very eerie from the start. My main issue was the pacing. It started off as a slow-burn but towards the end the twist seemed quite abrupt, and not just in a way that would make me say I didn’t see this coming, which I didn’t, but it also felt out of the blue and a bit disconnected.

Gary Oldman’s part isn’t all that much but Julianne Moore steals the show in her very brief appearance. Amy Adams is very natural and convincing and I really loved her portrayal of the lonely, and ill Dr. Anna Fox. Overall, I’d say it’s a one-time watch. Not too bad, but nothing extraordinary at all.