Who doesn’t love a suspense film, particularly when it is one that explores the depths of human psychology? That’s exactly the kind of film that The Woman in the Window promises to be. Based on the novel of the same name, the film adaptation looks like it’s going to have a truly stellar cast, as well as a very talented director at the helm.
Thus, there are many reasons to be excited for this film, but there are also a few reasons that viewers should also be nervous about the final product (assuming it ever comes to the big screen).
Excited: Amy Adams
Let’s face it. Any film that’s set to star Amy Adams already has a leg up on the competition. There’s a good reason that she’s currently one of the most well-regraded actresses of her generation.
Somehow, she manages to inhabit each and every role that she plays. What’s more, she’s also shown that she has tremendous range, being able to play in anything from comedy to high drama. It’s almost certain that she’ll deliver another stellar performance in this film.
Nervous: More Potential Delays
This film has already experienced delays in its release due to the pandemic. Given that the pandemic is still raging throughout the country and theaters are still struggling to decide exactly what to do, it seems like it’s a bit uncertain when this film will ever see the big screen.
While it would probably be acceptable for it to debut on one of the many streaming services, that would almost certainly take some of the drama out of the proceedings.
Excited: Julianne Moore
It’s hard to believe that one film managed to land both Amy Adams and Julianne Moore. Moore is one of those actresses who has almost never been in a bad film, and even those that she has appeared in have at least known what to do with her.
She has a grace and a power as an actress that’s unparalleled by almost anyone else acting in Hollywood today, and she’s certainly going to make this film one that’s worth watching.
Nervous: Troubled Production
It’s never a good thing when a film starts getting a reputation for having a troubled production, but unfortunately that seems to have already happened with this one. In fact, its original release was pushed back precisely because test audiences didn’t like some parts of the film.
While it can be hoped that the filmmakers managed to fix those problems, that’s still enough to give some audience members a bit of pause.
Excited: Gary Oldman
This film truly has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the cast. It turns out that acting maestro Gary Oldman is also in the film. Oldman is one of those actors who is something of a shapeshifter.
Time and again, he’s shown that he has the ability to play all sorts of roles, usually by seeming to inhabit the skin of the person that he’s portraying. There’s a pretty good chance that he’ll do the same in this film.
Nervous: It’s The Final Film For Fox 2000
Along with all of the other things that went wrong with this film, it also happens to be the final film from the studio Fox 2000.
While this isn’t necessarily a problem in and of itself, one has to wonder whether Disney is really going to support or promote this film in the most effective way, given that it has already proven to be so difficult in other ways. Only time will tell.
Excited: Joe Wright’s Great Track Record
One of the most exciting things about this film is its director. Joe Wright is one of those directors who has managed to bring a number of fantastic novels to screen, somehow enhancing the original work.
He clearly has a keen eye for what makes a drama work, and he also knows what it takes to make a film a truly majestic and enthralling experience for the audience. Hopefully this means that this film will be as strong as the others that he’s directed.
Nervous: The Novel’s Lackluster Reception
There’s always a bit of a balancing act when bringing a novel to the screen, and it seems like this will be no different. Whatever the merits of the film on its own, the fact remains that it is based on a book, and that’s going to color how people view it.
In this case, that might be a good thing, since the novel received a rather lukewarm reception from the critics. This isn’t a deal-breaker, obviously, but it is definitely cause to be nervous.
Excited: It Sounds Suspenseful
One of the best things that this film has going for is its storyline. It seems that it’s brimming with suspense and intrigue, with all sorts of enigmas that will challenge the viewer to constantly try to figure out what exactly is going on.
In the hands of a capable director and with a cast so uniformly excellent, there’s good reason to be excited and reason to hope that this is going to be an excellent psychological suspense film.
Nervous: It Could End Up Being Predictable
On the other hand, the problem with the thriller genre is that, depending on the writers and the director, it could end up being more predictable than anything else.
While that doesn’t seem too likely considering all of the other aspects of the film’s production, the fact that some of the film had to be changed because of negative test audience reception does suggest that there might be some storytelling problems that may hold over into the finished film.