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Secret Window

Secret Window

Mystery · Thriller · 2004

Mort Rainey, a writer just emerging from a painful divorce with his ex-wife, is stalked at his remote lake house by a psychotic stranger and would-be scribe who claims Rainey swiped his best story idea. But as Rainey endeavors to prove his innocence, he begins to question his own sanity.

Movie details

Secret Window

“The most important part of a story is the ending.”

2004 Mystery · Thriller 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Mort Rainey, a writer just emerging from a painful divorce with his ex-wife, is stalked at his remote lake house by a psychotic stranger and would-be scribe who claims Rainey swiped his best story idea. But as Rainey endeavors to prove his innocence, he begins to question his own sanity.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Secret Window?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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D.O.A.

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The Woman in the Window

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An agoraphobic woman living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors only to witness a disturbing act of violence.

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Complete strangers stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm soon find themselves the target of a deranged murderer. As their numbers thin out, the travelers begin to turn on each other, as each tries to figure out who the killer is.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Koepp

Written by

David Koepp

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp

Mort Rainey

John Turturro

John Turturro

John Shooter

Maria Bello

Maria Bello

Amy Rainey

Timothy Hutton

Timothy Hutton

Ted Milner

Charles S. Dutton

Charles S. Dutton

Ken Karsch

Len Cariou

Len Cariou

Sheriff Dave Newsome

Joan Heney

Joan Heney

Mrs. Garvey

Court is in session

Put Secret Window on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.