‘THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW’
Though not her first time playing a sleuth character, Kristen Bell returns to the role in this Netflix series. the woman in the house across the street
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (2022) Netflix Review
Nothing is going right or well for Anna Whitaker (Bell). She’s more than a little lost, and she mixes alcohol with anxiety meds. Her days consist of sitting in the window, watching those around her with more than one glass of wine. However, her world becomes more interesting when a single father (Tom Riley) moves in across the street. Having lost his wife, and now raising his daughter, Emma, Anna feels a kind of connection with Neil.
Trouble is, she soon learns there’s a girlfriend, and then, shortly after this, she sees Lisa being murdered in the window… or does she?
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GOOD OR SO-SO? WHAT'S YOUR VERDICT ON THE #NETFLIX PARODY ‘THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW’? #KRISTENBELL #THEWOMENINTHEHOUSE #TVSHOW Share on X
If the title weren’t enough, this is one of those sort of odd type dramedies that the viewer is never really sure what to make of. It’s conception is, obviously, a parody of so many other mystery titles about a woman in a house or window or train. Honestly, while it does operate as a parody, I think it’s kind of confused about what direction is really wants to take. There are some episodes that seem straight up “funny,” and I see the parody element. Then there’s some that are way more serious in pursuit of being a legit murder mystery.
Like anything she’s in, this is certainly another entertaining role for Kristen Bell. She has a good cast surrounding her, and she plays the role of Anna with a mix of vulnerability, crazy and sane. All of which confuses the viewer as to what we’re watching – is it comedy? Parody? Drama? Nonetheless, the series can work if you want to find it funny if you like or you can take it more seriously in a kind of whodunit sort of mystery. It’s really all up to how you decide to watch it. From a storytelling standpoint, I think the parody is found in some reveals and how absurd they are. That’s where the creators are coming from. I think. (Oddly enough, I also don’t think I’d have liked anything here if it’d been a slapstick parody.)
To say much more would reveal spoilers. In all likelihood I’m the only one on planet earth who hadn’t seen this, but on the off chance I’m not, I don’t want to reveal much. I will say the ending is a mixed bag. It’s a bit “creepy,” which leads me to see this as less of the parody I think producers want. (Full disclosure, since I have only read spoilers, trailers or read about some of the movies that inspires this, I’m sure I’m missing a lot of the cues.) Additionally, even though it’s likely not meant to feel this way, I think the ending is more sad than interesting. It’s a sort of backward spiral that I didn’t like to see, but then, that’s likely my unpopular opinion.
If you don’t mind something that’s a kind of offbeat mix of genres, you may enjoy The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window. (I really cannot with the title!) However, this is definitely an adult show that doesn’t leave much content untouched. Beyond this, fans of Kristen Bell will probably like this.
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Content: there’s multiple F-words. Some episodes have 2-3, others climb high. (I did mute the F-word.) There’s also 3 or so suggestive/sexual scenes. One features a woman daydreaming and them tumbling onto her chair in ardor. Later, someone ends up having sex with a man; they begin to undress and passionately kiss. The next day, she wakes up naked under the sheets and we see a backside shot of him nude. The body count climbs high, especially in the latter episodes. Multiple victims are sliced in the throat. One woman is dismembered and hidden. Another scene shows a brutal fight between characters; both sustain gunshot wounds with blood. We see a woman lying in a pool of blood once or twice. There is a memory of a death, but isn’t graphic. There is other swearing like sh*t, GD, etc. The series is TV-MA, an equivalent to an R-rating.
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