Secret Window

Movie / Show Details

Amazon.com

Johnny Depp gets high off another acting challenge in this tricky adaptation of a Stephen King yarn. Although the mood is too sinister to allow for the mischief of his Pirates of the Caribbean turn, Depp still manages to embroider his role here with plenty of quirky business. He plays a writer, depressed and nearly divorced, who’s stuck in an isolated cabin (shades of The Shining) when a stranger (John Turturro) arrives, accusing him of plagiarism. Writer-director David Koepp (Stir of Echoes) does his best to make the rickety material compelling–he gets the maximum out of the cabin set, for instance–but the problems inherent in the King story eventually win out. The climactic scenes are particularly unpleasant, especially in contrast to the cleverness of Depp’s performance. A Philip Glass score adds class, but this one ultimately feels like a disappointment. –Robert Horton

Product Description

Superstar Johnny Depp gives one of the most captivating performances of his career in this grippingpsychological thriller.

Set Contains:

Be sure to watch Secret Window before you dive into the DVD’s special features, most of which quickly reveal the film’s secrets. Writer-director David Koepp’s commentary track is full of inside jokes and technical details but a bit dry; he might have benefited from another voice as a counter. He’s also the centerpiece of the three lengthy featurettes (over an hour total), although the major cast members pitch in as well. And if it’s true that “the only thing that matters is the ending,” you get an alternate ending here among the four deleted scenes (two with optional Koepp commentary). It’s not that different, tacking on a few striking but ultimately unnecessary seconds, but the computer-animated storyboards show that it’s what Koepp originally had in mind. –David Horiuchi