Review of Secret Window (2004) by Jonathan L — 30 Mar 2014

Secret Window is one of my favorite movies of all time. For the sole reason that it requires you to think rather than simply watch. I've seen it over ten times now and each time raises further questions. It's especially interesting when you watch the bonus material and writer/director David Koepp explains how the movie's themes are explained almost entirely through the camera work.

Secret Window also features one of Johnny Depp's best performances to date. Johnny plays mystery writer, Mort Rainy. He is going through a rough patch with his wife, played by Maria Bello, and is in the middle of filing for divorce. He is also suffering from a severe case of writers block to make things worse for him. But to top everything off, Mort is visited by a man in a dairy farmer hat named John Shooter, played exquisitely by John Turturro. The minute Mort let's Shooter into his life, the man accuses him of plagiarizing his story. At first, Mort dismisses this accusation as a case of mistaken identity. But the situation escalates when Shooter begins tearing his whole world apart. It gets to the point where Mort begins to question the seriousness of the situation, as well as his own sanity.

They could've chosen anyone to play the role of Mort Rainy, but Johnny Depp makes it his own in more ways than one. The character is complex and not easy to figure out first hand, but he also happens to be one of the simplest characters Johnny has ever played, in the sense that he plays the every man who is thrust into a psychological battle of wits that will determine whether he lives or dies.

The movie is scary, but in a psychological sense, which is how I like my horror movies. There are some pretty violent scenes but none of which detract from the storyline. Every brutal moment in this film is necessary for the development of the story.

Be forewarned, you will not get this movie after the first viewing. But after you watch it several times, you will come to a better understanding of the film overall. It may even make your list as one of your all time faves.

Secret Window has inspired my own story telling in more ways than one. I love the whole psychological aspect of the movie. Johnny Depp's character has influenced several of my own characters, and David Koepp's writing and directing is the core inspiration for many of my own psychological mystery thrillers.

Secret Window is truly one of the more overlooked masterpieces of the last decade.