The Secret Window

Break Down and Ball Breaking

Johnny Depp is back, this time as Mort Rainey, a writer with some “issues” one of them being a whiny, reciprocity-type chick Amy (Maria Bello) that’s putting him through a messy divorce. Also along for the let’s-kick-ol’-Morty-(or Johnny)-while-he’s-down-routine is her new pea-brained, muscle bound fuck buddy Ted (Timothy Hutton). If the movie stopped there, it’d be in the badness report section along such other winners as Josie and the Pussy Cats, Van Helsing, and the rest of their ilk. Luckily, Senior King have the good sense to write in a strange and possibly psychotic man who’s now stalking Mort for “justice.” The ending I really liked, and if you’ve ever rooted for the bad guy, you”ll think the ending is as kick ass as I did.

Rantings and Ratings

I found the plot rather transparent and the end was no surprise to me. That’s not always a bad thing, if the story itself can make up for the obviousness of what’s going to happen. The Secret Window is just such a case. It incorporates a good deal of humor (admittedly dark) and drama, and a might of creepiness, and does so rather well. Now if you’re expecting to jump out of your seat every 10 minutes from gut-wrenching horror, don’t hold your breath. Unless you’re a terminal Ned Flanders case, this movie isn’t frightening; funny yes, scary no. All in all, the Secret Window is going to ride rather high in my book with a 5 out of 6 possible points.