Secret Window is a bland psychological thriller starring Johnny Depp as a writer named Mort Rainey whose personal life is spiraling out of control. After catching his wife Amy (Maria Bello) in the arms of another man (Timothy Hutton), he retreats to a cabin on the lake with only his dog, his computer, and occasional visits from a cleaning lady to keep him company. He soon gets an unwelcome visitor in the form of John Shooter (played wonderfully by John Turturro), who accuses Rainey of stealing one of his stories.
The majority of Secret Window is Rainey's attempt to prove his innocence to the increasingly psychotic and violent Shooter. Although Rainey has been known to "borrow" from other writers on occasion, this time he is clearly in the right, and this particular story was semi-autobiographical, so it couldn't have been plagiarized. Still, Shooter insists that the tale is his, except for what he claims is a much better ending, and will not rest until Rainey republishes the story with Shooter's improved conclusion.
The plot of Secret Window is based on a book by Stephen King, who has covered the topic of obsessed fans several times before. Knowing that King is involved, I would have expected a much more thrilling movie, but it mostly falls flat. The conclusion is refreshingly un-Hollywood-like, but somewhat predictable. There are some clever clues and foreshadowing that redeem the film a bit, and a few moments of dark humor, but ultimately it's just not that interesting.
On the flip side, Turturro's unhinged performance as John Shooter is satisfying to watch, though he unfairly gets squeezed out at the end of the movie by Depp's more melodramatic turn. The dialogue and general writing throughout is solid, and there are some interesting camera shots from director David Koepp, who also directed Stir of Echoes and contributed to the screenplays of Spider-Man, Panic Room, Carlito's Way, Jurassic Park, and more. The lack of a strong suspenseful feeling in an otherwise good script indicates that perhaps Koepp ought to stick with the writing and leaving the directing up to others.
All in all, Secret Window is far from being a complete waste of time, especially for fans of Depp and Turturro, but don't expect to be scared out of your wits or blown away by amazing originality, because you won't find it here.
