Secret Window (2004)
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Reviews Counted: 158
Fresh: 73 | Rotten: 85
Depp is quirkily entertaining, but the movie runs out of steam by the end.
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Critic Reviews: 39
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 20
Depp is quirkily entertaining, but the movie runs out of steam by the end.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 401,114
My Rating
Movie Info
From writer/director David Koepp (Stir of Echoes) comes this filmed adaptation of Stephen King's novella Secret Window, Secret Garden, one of four stories in the collection Four Past Midnight. Johnny Depp stars as Mort Rainey, a recently divorced author who decides to take some time off at his cottage. Unfortunately for Rainey, John Shooter (John Turturro), an unbalanced wannabe writer, tracks him down, claiming that Rainey plagiarized his work. Also starring Maria Bello, Charles S. Dutton, and
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Cast
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Johnny Depp
Mort Rainey -
John Turturro
John Shooter -
Maria Bello
Amy Rainey -
Timothy Hutton
Ted Milner -
Charles S. Dutton
Ken Karsch -
Len Cariou
Sheriff Dave Newsome -
Joan Heney
Mrs. Garvey -
John Dunn-Hill
Tom Greenleaf -
Vlasta Vrana
Fire Chief Wickersham -
Gillian Ferrabee
Fran Evans
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Secret Window Trailer & Photos
All Critics (169) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (76) | Rotten (89) | DVD (37)
Mr. Depp demonstrates once again that he never disappoints as an actor, even in something as fraudulent as Secret Window.
Top CriticThe story is so basic that it makes a fine template for an exercise in style, and Koepp layers on the details with great relish.
Has no story, no ending and no redeeming value.
The plot certainly has possibilities, but far too many of them are botched by writer-director David Koepp, who's a better writer than director.
Adapted from a Stephen King novella, the film lurches tiredly through the author's favorite masochistic-narcissistic fantasy, subjecting a woebegone writer to a gauntlet of abuse.
[I]t's so refreshing to see a thriller that doesn't compromise itself with a pat Hollywood ending.
It all feels recycled and re-recycled.
Once again, Depp slouches into a piece of mainstream entertainment and takes every opportunity to amuse himself.
This is, in short, a mystery story that has very little actual mystery.
Depp's ... wonderfully frazzled portrait of seething resentment almost makes this minor thriller seem fresh.
...an enjoyable little genre picture -- tense and stylish and full of Johnny Depp.
Even if it's by design, there's only so much Depp can do rattling around This Old House.
Audience Reviews for Secret Window
Super Reviewer
I honestly cannot remember Johnny Depp being this bad as an actor in his whole career. He literally destroys all the possible tension from the whole film with his lazy acting. It is like he does not even care about the whole film and it's shitty storyline.
Stephen King's short story, which this film is based on, is a below averege work from King and definetly does not serve enough meat around it's bones to make it a full feature film. With more wider storyline and deeper insight into it's main characters psyche this film might have turned out to be something worth to see, but now it is just one messy and awfully artificial and unoriginal bunch of cliches. Koepp clearly is not that talented as a director and here is another proof of that.
Super Reviewer
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- Mort Rainey: You know, the only thing that matters, is the ending. It's the most important part of the story, the ending. And this one, is very good. This one's perfect.
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- John Shooter: I want you to fix it.
- Mort Rainey: What would you like me to fix?
- John Shooter: My ending. The one you wrecked. I can't decide what's worse: stealing my story or ruining the ending. Mine was perfect.
- Mort Rainey: I don't even think I read your whole story.
- John Shooter: Oh, I bet you did. 'I know I can do it, Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. I'm sure that in time, her death will be a mystery even to me.' That's how the story ends, pilgrim, it's the only ending. You gonna write it for me, ang get it published and it's gonna have my name on it.
- Mort Rainey: I'd be more than happy to write your ending, Mr. Shooter.
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- Mort Rainey: [voiceover] I know I can do it, Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. I'm sure that in time, every bit of her will be gone and her death will be a mystery... even to me.
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- Mort Rainey: My wife, let's just leave her out of this.
- John Shooter: Would if I could, but I'm starting to think you ain't gonna leave me that option.
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