Secret Window Details

2004

Rated:
60
from 32,784 members

Starring	Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Timothy Hutton, Maria Bello
Director	David Koepp
Genres	Thriller

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Secret Window

Based on a Stephen King novella, the psychological thriller SECRET WINDOW is reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock film. Eccentric author Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) finds his life spiralling out of control. With a drinking problem and a cigarette habit he can't shake, Mort can barely function when his wife (Maria Bello) leaves him and he abandons his work. In the midst of his anguish, a deranged man, John Shooter, (John Turturro) appears at Mort's New York cabin, claiming that Mort has plagiarized one of his stories. As his wife pushes Mort to finalize their divorce and Shooter systematically destroys his life, he struggles to restore order to an increasingly insane situation.
Playing off of Turturro who is superb as the crazed, Gothic Shooter, Johnny Depp shines in his role with a quirky, brilliant performance. The mannerisms he brings to Mort, such as a problem with a clenched jaw, makes the author's descent into madness compelling and believable. With an emphasis on character study over special effects, the chills provided by this film rely on skilled acting and evoke thrillers of earlier generations like PSYCHO and STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, including a shocking twist of an ending.

Starring	Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Timothy Hutton, Maria Bello, Charles S. Dutton
Director	David Koepp
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 32 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 36 mins
Certificate
Collections	100 Top Thrillers
Genres	Thriller
Language	DVD: English Blu-ray: English
Released	DVD: 11 Oct 2004 Blu-ray: 14 May 2007 Production year: 2004
Format	DVD

Critics' reviews (3) of Secret Window
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Given his sound treatment of novelist Richard Matheson's chiller Stir of Echoes, you'd have thought director David Koepp would have been more than qualified to create a good Stephen King adaptation. However, movie history is littered with poor attempts to exploit literary cash cow King, and this lacklustre psychological thriller unfortunately joins them. In another of his eccentric performances, Johnny Depp stars as a successful author whose writer's block is nothing compared to the hell that he encounters when psychotic stranger John Turturro accuses him of plagiarism. Ironically, given its storyline, the film unfolds just like another King book, The Dark Half, a weakness that isn't helped by Koepp's heavy signposting of twists. While Depp's emotional seesawing and Turturro's furrow-browed intensity are entertaining in themselves, you can't help wondering what two fine actors are doing in something that feels made for a small-screen audience.
- Radio Times
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
Depp valiantly attempts to keep alive this hand-me-down thriller, but his portrait of an author as a seedy slob isn't enough.
- Halliwell's Film Guide
- Posted 02 Mar 2006
Most helpful member's review of Secret Window
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34 out of 34 people found this review helpful

Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!

I'd tend to agree with what many people have already said; this film is good, but it doesn't quite invoke the sense of horror that it should, or that you expect. It's not a great translation from King's novel, but it a long way off being a bad film.

Depp puts in another outstanding performance, but unfortunately one great actor does not make a film. John Tuturro (from many a Cohen Bros. film) puts in a pretty good show too, but it boils down to this screenplay just not being scary enough. I was expecting to be shocked out of my sheets, but found the film just ambling a long a little too much.

I mean, go ahead and watch it, a lot of people will like it, I did, just not as much as I had hoped. Anyone who hasn't at least considered the 'twist' at some point before it's revelation should be ashamed...

And beware, you may never look at a Pilgrim in the same way again...
- - MattBurn from Notts
  - Posted 09 Nov 2004 09:03
Most recent members' review of Secret Window
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

Unpredictable!! in a good way!

I have to say I thought this film was excellent! I have watched it at the cinema and now on dvd, Johnny Depp gives an outstanding performance not giving any clues away at all,it goes to show he will try his hand at anything, the whole cast give a great performance no one lets the side down and I don`t want to give too much away but the ending is a big surprise and is totally unexpected. Great Film!
- - A customer from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
  - Posted 16 May 2005 10:58
News and features
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Harris and Mortensen set for violent encounter
- 26 Sep 2005
This week's biggest cinema release sees thriller A History Of Violence come to UK cinema screens from September 30th. The film marks a long-awaited return from director David Cronenberg, the man behind The Fly with Jeff Goldblum, controversial Crash from 1996 and eXistenZ with Jude Law. A History Of Violence stars Viggo Mortensen, from The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, who plays the role of Tom Stall, a smalltown restaurant owner. Tom enters the media spotlight after killing two robbers and is... Read more
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