First of all, I adore Kristen Bell. The last thing I saw her in was Like Father and while that film was a big fat dud, Kristen Bell was a highlight. If you haven’t seen this new Netflix mini-series yet, get to it. It follows a woman with 99 problems and being crazy doesn’t seem to be one of them. The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is a long title. It should’ve alerted me to the off-the-wall content I was about to watch. At first, I thought it was just a bad series. I promise you though, that if you stick with the story, the rewards will come.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window begins like a crime drama with a woman grieving for her daughter in a big empty house. A man and his daughter move in across the street giving Anna plenty to spy on. Anna, played by Bell creates the perfect image of someone not coping, drinking on prescription medication, and failing to move on. This, of course, is the perfect time to put on your detective cap and start poking around. Slowly, as the TV series gains momentum, it becomes increasingly obvious that this is not a TV show to take seriously.
It all begins with anecdotal evidence that nothing is normal in this fictional town called Middlebury. Moreso, when everything starts to remind you of every murder mystery or thriller movie you’ve ever watched combined with a big helping of absurdity.
A Netflix Series Satire of Mystery and Thriller Films
There is no doubt this is a series that will divide audiences. But if satire and dark humor is your thing, The Woman in the House will be a delightfully different kind of story to digest. If you’re looking for an example, we get half the story early on. While Anna is talking to her therapist we find out her husband works with serial killers. Casually, it’s revealed that the day she died was “take your daughter to work” day. He is also a forensic psychiatrist for the FBI and her daughter is killed that day.
As a bi-product, Anna becomes ombrophobic because it was raining when they left together. Now every time she is caught in the rain, she passes out. Throughout a few of these events, Anna’s affliction becomes more and more amusing.
What I loved about the series is the sheer magnitude of references to everything from the Scream franchise to many thriller films with so many plot twists they become far-fetched. The Woman in the House has it all. It has small comedic details like foreshadowing using the various titles of books Anna reads throughout the series. There are also blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gags on things like tombstones (Elizabeth’s tombstone has “There’s no I in Heaven” at the bottom.) What’s more, any movie trope you can think of is gleaned and placed into the narrative with perfect execution.
What Review Aggregator Sites Thought of The Woman in the House
Rotten Tomatoes initially received low ratings from both critics and audiences, with a satisfaction rate of approximately 53%. In contrast, IMBd.com, a more dependable source, rates the Netflix series at around 6.6/10. Common complaints revolve around the series’ pacing and length. However, Mother of Movies was unfazed by these issues, as she found plenty to enjoy once the series found its rhythm. It’s worth noting that “Woman in the House” is still in its early stages, having been released on January 29th, 2022, in most countries.
Overall, I thought The Woman in the House was a hoot. The final few episodes were brilliant and the whole series leaves off with the possibility for more. I’d watch more. There’s even a cameo from Glenn Close in the last few minutes that I was thrilled to see.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is rated
4 chicken casseroles out of 5
The run-time for The Woman in the House series is just shy of 3.5 hours.
The Woman in the House cast includes Kristen Bell, Tom Riley, Michael Ealy, Cameron Britton, Mary Holland, and a cameo from Glenn Close.
“When it Rains, She Pours.”
Tagline taken from the Netflix series “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window”
