Fear holds sway in new trailer for The Woman In The Window

Despite a star studded cast and incredible source material, director Joe Wright's thriller THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW has had some stumbling blocks on its way to the big screen. The film, starring Amy Adams, was one of the many movies Disney inherited from Fox after their acquisition of the studio earlier this year. Originally the film was set to come out on October 4, however due to poor test screenings, the House of Mouse decided to retool the third act. THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW was subsequently pushed back to May of next year. However, despite all the hoopla we finally have our first real look at the film as an official trailer dropped this morning.

While it looks like Amy Adams' is once again bringing her A-game, there's nothing particularly compelling about this trailer. On initial glance it comes off as a REAR WINDOW wannabe. While ostensibly a psychological thriller, I hope this film examines the mental health issues inherent to Adams' character. Mental illness still carries a certain stigma with it and I sincerely hope that Adams' character doesn't come off as the "crazy" person that no one believes. The tone of this trailer kind of implies that. Aside from being a tired trope, it's also a very narrow-minded view of agoraphobia and panic disorder.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW is based on the 2018 best seller by A.J. Finn. It follows, an agoraphobic developmental psychologist who ends up in the middle of a crime scene while spying on her new neighbors, leaving her to determine whether or not to alert the cops. Although the film appears tired and formulaic, there's no denying the talent involved. With critically acclaimed hits like ATONEMENT, THE DARKEST HOUR, and PRIDE & PREJUDICE, I find it hard to believe that Joe Wright's film will be a disaster.

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW starring Amy Adams, Tracy Letts, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Brian Tyree Henry, ad Anthony Mackie hits theaters May 15, 2020.