The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window – Review
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is a mini series from Netflix starring Kristen Bell. Yes, it is probably one of the longest titles for a TV show in recent years and as catchy as it sounds, this series will surely take you to a rollercoaster ride. It is interesting to note that the show is a parody to all the mystery and psychological thrillers so if you feel like some events in the series are being done in an exaggerated manner, it is absolutely intentional.
It follows a story of Anna (Kristen Bell) who took a major downfall after losing her daughter in a very gruesome way, a tragedy that also broke up her marriage. She took a break from her career as a painter and spent most of her time at home, drinking wine, and reading books like “The Woman Across the Lake and The Girl on the Cruise”. Anna was also under therapy and is instructed by her “therapist” to take her medications on a regular basis. Apparently, Anna is taking her meds along with alcohol which often results to vivid hallucinations.
Her life eventually changed when a new neighbor across the street arrived. This is where she met Neil (Tom Riley) and his daughter Emma (Samsara Yett). Neil lost his wife few years back which gave Anna the idea that they are probably meant for each other until Lisa (Shelly Hennig) came into the picture. Apparently, Lisa is Neil’s girlfriend. One night, while Anna is looking through her window, she witnessed being murdered in Neil’s house and that’s where things got even crazier.
While the series is meant to be a parody, the show is not as predictable as it should be. Anna clearly witnessed a murder but as the series progresses, you cannot easily tell if it is a real event or simply a product of her excessive drinking problem and hallucinations. At one point, she even saw her dead daughter on her room. Several characters will be introduced in the series and some of which will add more suspicions including Rex who revealed Lisa’s true identity. While Anna is convinced that Lisa is indeed murdered and as she suspects that Neil is the one behind the crime, she doesn’t have enough evidence to prove it.
Attempt several failed attempts to prove that Neil is the killer, she eventually gave up and convinced herself that what she witnessed is probably just a product of her hallucinations until the chopped body of Lisa (whose real name is Chastity) was found along with the palette knife that belongs to her. Now, what makes it even more insane is that Anna is getting some weird flashbacks where she is seemingly stabbing Lisa to death. Then there’s also Buell (Cameron Britton) the friendly handyman who she discovered secretly living on her attic for a very long time.
If it’s not weird enough, Anna also realized that Buell has been fixing their mailbox for years! She also found out that her therapist is her husband Douglas (Michael Ealy) and Buell was apparently his very first patient as a Forensic Psychiatrist and is formerly a serial killer. When she found out that Buell is heading to Neil’s house, she rushed down the street despite her “ombrophobia” (fear of the rain) in attempt to save Neil and Emma. However, as she enters the house, she found Buell lying on the ground soaked in his own blood. As she approached the living room, she also found Neil’s dead body which erases everything that she initially suspects.
Things got even crazier when she discovered that the person behind the crime is the eight-year-old Emma. It turns out that Emma is the one who killed her own pregnant mother and also her former teacher. She managed to frame Anna by obtaining one of her palette knives. This revelation lead to a climatic fight scene between the two. Yes! Imagine a grown up Anna fighting a psychotic 8 year old girl. It was a hilarious moment.
Kristen Bell did an amazing job for this series proving that she can blend both drama and comedy together. While mostly unpredictable, the series shows how formulaic most psychological thrillers are and it’s funny how this satire show managed to present these clichés in an exaggerated manner. The series is only composed of 8 episodes and i should warn you that there are some intense and daring sex scenes in the show that you might be unprepared for. Also, the series concludes with a surprising cliffhanger featuring Glenn Close. This prepares us to a more exciting Season 2
Rating: 7/10
The series is currently streaming on Netflix. So if you are a subscriber, make sure to include this show on your watch list! You can also take advantage of other media platforms that allow you to watch your favorite Tv series for free. Infinity Dish listed down 13 legit ways to watch your favorite shows without costing any penny, from Free Streaming services to various Apps that you can download on your device! There are tons of shows to binge watch these coming months so make sure to catch up!