Jan 4

Jan 4 Coming Soon: The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window

Once in a generation, a TV series comes along that can change the world.

I don’t think The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is that TV series, but it sure feels like it for me. This is an upcoming parody miniseries on Netflix premiering 28 January.

The title should tell you everything you need to know. There is an entire subgenre of thrillers that amount to “I saw a crime through the window but no one believes me.” This parody is definitely pulling a lot of style notes from the Amy Adams-led The Woman in the Window, but this genre has far deeper roots than that.

The most famous and arguably best of these is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. This is the one that was spoofed in cartoon series and TV shows for years. The Simpsons actually created a magnificent witness the crime in the neighbor’s house short of their own in “Bart of Darkness.” The basic concept is someone has a broken leg, so they spend their free time staring out the window. They witness what they believe to be a murder in their neighbor’s home. However, there is no evidence the crime took place and the person believed to be the killer has an explanation for everything. No one wants to believe the witness, but the witness knows they have to find justice for the victim.

It’s a great formula that works for a lot of target audiences. The Simpsons was a particularly family-friendly version, leaning into a lot of silly jokes and suggestion to tell this kind of story. Disturbia is a great teen thriller so similar to Rear Window that a lengthy copyright infringement lawsuit followed its release (Disturbia was found to not infringe, but it has the same idea down to the broken leg). What Lies Beneath is a fantastic horror/thriller that still holds up with a more unique spin on the concept. Even Lucky, one of my favorite horror films from 2021, plays on the “witness a crime but no one believes you” story beats for some incredibly disturbing social commentary.

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window has me excited for a couple reasons. First, it stars Kristen Bell. She’s an incredible comedic actor that can carry something bizarre and conceptual like this with ease. Just think of what she brought to projects like The Good Place and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She commits.

Second, the references are instantly recognizable. This series looks like an honest thriller in this subgenre, pushed to such extremes it becomes absurd. An honest take on this subgenre made now would have a house that looks like that, with windows everywhere and just the right urban neutral palette to seem expensive. There has to be a lot of space to hide secrets but also cast doubt as to what really happened.

Third, they’re marketing it with the big tropes lined up. Anna sees the murder happen. She’s also a heavy drinker and is not seen without a wine glass. Her frustration at no one believing her totally true story because she’s tipsy is just the kind of spin that can unravel this entire subgenre in very rewarding ways.

Watch the trailer to The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window below. The series premieres on Netflix 28 January 2022.