The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window – Netflix Review (4/5)

THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW on Netflix is a new limited series. It’s essentially a clever spoof on the crime and thriller genres, and it works remarkably well. Read our full The Woman in the House series review here!

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is a new limited series on Netflix. Or, as it is officially described, “a darkly comedic, wine-soaked, satirical slant on the psychological thriller that will have you guessing who, what, where, why, and how in the hell?! until the very end”.

Honestly, I could not have said it better myself. Combine the classic plot twists of various crime novels with the “you know how this will evolve”-plot of every single Christmas movie, and you’ve got a good idea of what to expect. All of it works perfectly well as a campy spoof thanks to Kristen Bell in the all-important lead (and title) role.

As the title heavily indicates, the main inspiration for this series is the Netflix thriller The Woman in the Window.

Continue reading our The Woman in the House series review below. There are 8 half-hour episodes in the series and we’ve watched (and enjoyed) them all for this review.

A very campy take on crime thrillers

There is no getting around the fact that The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (or just “The Woman in the House” for short) works so well thanks to Kristen Bell.

Sure, some people will not get this series at all. In fact, if you sit down and take this seriously as a crime-thriller series, you’ll probably loathe it.

Because The Woman in the House is not a classic crime-thriller series on Netflix. This isn’t a Harlan Coben novel that has been adapted. However, if you’ve seen enough of those, you’ll know exactly what to expect.

Just in a campy, satirical way. Hell, the most recent Harlan Coben series on Netflix Stay Close was just barely more serious than The Woman in the House. This is a satirical take on those crime novels and psychological thrillers that so many of us are devouring.

Kristen Bell is perfection!

If you want to get the most out of The Woman in the House, then just enjoy the ride and watch Kristen Bell play it incredibly straight-faced. All while also managing to have that edge that she plays so well. Not quite tongue-in-cheek and not a straight-up comedy either.

The character she needs to play in The Woman in the House is something entirely different. And very Kristen Bell – in all the best ways! The fact that she has scenes playing across from the brilliant Mary Holland just makes it all work even better.

Netflix recently added the movie Brazen (starring Alyssa Milano) and it’s just one small step away from being as much of a spoof as this new limited series is. Alyssa Milano also leaned into all the quirks of the crime and thriller genres and had a blast with it. Just as you have to do when making a Christmas movie. Roll with it or just leave it.

There’s nothing worse than watching a movie trying desperately to be something it isn’t. That’s where so many low-budget horror movies fail and where filmmakers such as Sam Raimi have won over and over again.

Watch The Woman in the House on Netflix now!

The creators behind The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window are Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, and Rachel Ramras. The three previously created and starred in the comedy series Nobodies (2017-2018).

Michael Lehmann is the director on all eight episodes which ensures perfect continuity. Also, Michael Lehmann has the perfect resume to take on a project like this. After all, his feature film debut was the iconic crime-comedy Heathers (1988) and since then he has directed genre productions such as Dexter, True Blood, AHS, and Scream Queens.

With a surprise cameo appearance in the final episode, it definitely seems like a second season is more than ready to be made. Personally, I am desperately hoping that there will be a season 2. Hopefully with a new (and crazy long) title to match, instead of it just being season 2.

Hey, if Mike Flanagan can do Netflix series that just begin with “The Haunting of“, then surely they can do seasons that begin with “The Woman in the House“.

The best way to quickly describe The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is as a spoof on the crime and thriller genres. However, that really doesn’t do it justice. It’s more of a satire than a comedy. Whatever you call it, it does work remarkably well. You just have to lean into it and enjoy the 8 half-hour episodes of craziness.

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is out on Netflix on January 28, 2022.

Details

Creators: Rachel Ramras, Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf
Director: Michael Lehmann
Screenwriters: Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, Rachel Ramras
Cast: Kristen Bell, Tom Riley, Michael Ealy, Appy Pratt, Rachel Ramras, Christopher Chen, Abhi Trivedi, Shelley Hennig, Mary Holland, Cameron Britton, Christina Anthony, Brenda Koo, Nicole Pulliam, Karen McClain, Timothy Davis-Reed