BY EMILIE WEINBECK, FEATURES EDITOR
After taking time off from being on television screens, Kristen Bell is back and coming to screens on Netflix’s newest miniseries, “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.”
The miniseries was released on Friday, Jan. 28, and has been getting attention on social media from binge watchers about how the series has left many viewers confused and seeking answers. The description of the show on Netflix reads, “Mixing wine, pills casseroles and an overactive imagination, Anna obsesses over a hunky neighbor across the street and witnesses a murder. Or did she?”
The series follows Anna, played by Bell, who lives a fairly mundane life. Anna spends her days indulging in wine as she stares out the window day in and day out until a new and very attractive neighbor moves in across the street from her. All seems to be going well until Anna swears she witnesses a murder happen across the street in her neighbor’s house. This then prompts Anna to question herself and her memory.
Bell is the one who is behind the long show title. In an interview with TODAY, the actress revealed that she insisted on keeping the title of the show long rather than having it shortened to “The Woman In the House.” “I said, ‘No way’ because, here’s a little tip of the hat,” she said. “This show is definitely, it’s a satirical psychological drama.”
The title of this show appears to pay homage to a few psychological thrillers that have hit the big screens in recent years. “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn, which was also released on Netflix in 2021 and starred Amy Adams, is said to play a role in the plot of the show. “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins, a movie adaptation that starred Emily Blunt in 2016, is said to also have inspired some scenes seen throughout the show.
“It’s based on all of these psychological novels that were written for women, by women,” Bell told TODAY during her recent interview. “The formula’s always the same. She drinks too much. She might be mixing it with pills. She thinks she sees a murder. No one believes her. There’s so much formula to it that we thought it was about time that somebody poked fun at it.”
Unfortunately, many critics do not seem to be impressed with the show and how they are interpreting past psychological thrillers. “Compared to the loopy ‘Woman in the Window’ or ‘Girl on the Train,’ both films that in many ways can be taken as their own parodies, this show is just kind of dull,” said Daniel D’Addario, who writes for Variety.
Michael Ealy, who is known for his roles in “Fatale” and “The Perfect Guy” stars as Douglas, who is Anna’s ex-husband and just happens to be a forensic psychiatrist. Former “Da Vinci’s Demons” actor Tom Riley plays the part of Neil, Anna’s new attractive neighbor.
The series also stars Mary Holland playing Sloane, who is an art gallery owner and Anna’s friend. Cameron Britton plays Buell, a handyman. Samsara Yett plays Emma, who is the nine-year-old daughter of Neil.
All eight episodes of the show are available on Netflix and no news about a possible season two has been released yet.
