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Secret Window (2004)

tomatometer

46

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.

49

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.

audience

69

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

PG-13,

Mystery & Suspense, Drama

David Koepp

Jun 22, 2004

$47.8M

Columbia Pictures - Official Site External Icon

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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.

April 1, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Observer | Comment (1)
New York Observer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The story is so basic that it makes a fine template for an exercise in style, and Koepp layers on the details with great relish.

March 21, 2004 Full Review Source: Salon.com
Salon.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Has no story, no ending and no redeeming value.

March 18, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Observer
New York Observer
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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.

March 16, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

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.

March 16, 2004 Full Review Source: Village Voice
Village Voice
Top Critic IconTop Critic

[I]t's so refreshing to see a thriller that doesn't compromise itself with a pat Hollywood ending.

March 15, 2004 Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It all feels recycled and re-recycled.

December 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Once again, Depp slouches into a piece of mainstream entertainment and takes every opportunity to amuse himself.

September 23, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

This is, in short, a mystery story that has very little actual mystery.

October 11, 2006
Christianity Today

Depp's ... wonderfully frazzled portrait of seething resentment almost makes this minor thriller seem fresh.

May 4, 2005 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness
Lessons of Darkness

...an enjoyable little genre picture -- tense and stylish and full of Johnny Depp.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Even if it's by design, there's only so much Depp can do rattling around This Old House.

August 15, 2004 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

Audience Reviews for Secret Window

Based on a short story of Stephen King's, this is a mind twister of a film with the kind of performance that Johnny Depp can pull off. Watching this now, it does seem much more predictable than when it was released, perhaps because a lot of similar themed films have been made since, easy watching though! My favourite role of John Turturro's.
July 7, 2007
76Majikat

Super Reviewer

With Secret Window director/writer David Koepp has hit the rock bottom and man the result is one abysmally bad film.
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.
January 7, 2012
emilkakko

Super Reviewer

    1. 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.
    – Submitted by Cody H (8 months ago)
    1. John Shooter: I want you to fix it.
    2. Mort Rainey: What would you like me to fix?
    3. 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.
    4. Mort Rainey: I don't even think I read your whole story.
    5. 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.
    6. Mort Rainey: I'd be more than happy to write your ending, Mr. Shooter.
    – Submitted by Cody H (8 months ago)
    1. 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.
    – Submitted by John D (19 months ago)
    1. Mort Rainey: My wife, let's just leave her out of this.
    2. John Shooter: Would if I could, but I'm starting to think you ain't gonna leave me that option.
    – Submitted by Dan P (20 months ago)

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