Secret Window

"The most important part of a story is the ending."

2004 1h 36m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 4,051

MysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mort Rainey, a writer just emerging from a painful divorce with his ex-wife, is stalked at his remote lake house by a psychotic stranger and would-be scribe who claims Rainey swiped his best story idea. But as Rainey endeavors to prove his innocence, he begins to question his own sanity.

“The most important part of a story is the ending.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Sony Pictures Core Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Koepp
Writers: David Koepp, Brick Mason
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Koepp, shot by Fred Murphy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philip Glass. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jill Savitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Johnny Depp and John Turturro and Maria Bello carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The most important part of a story is the ending.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0363988 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Koepp directs. Fred Murphy behind the camera. Philip Glass scores. Jill Savitt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2Directed by David Koepp, shot by Fred Murphy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Philip Glass. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Jill Savitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Johnny Depp and John Turturro and Maria Bello carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The most important part of a story is the ending.".
7IMDB entry: tt0363988 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 20 themes, including "adultery", "jealousy", "nightmare", "police".

The technical file

Cinematography: Fred Murphy
Original score: Philip Glass
Editing: Jill Savitt
Production design: Howard Cummings
Costume design: Odette Gadoury
Makeup / hair: Patricia Regan
VFX supervisor: Gray Marshall
Sound: Tim Chau
Stunt coordinator: David McKeown
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $40,000,000
Box office: $92,900,000
Return: 232% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Secret Window (2004)

Also by

David Koepp

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-03-20
★ 6/10
You strike me as the kind of guy who's on the lookout for a head he can knock off with a shovel. It's actually a film that shows both the good and bad sides of Johnny Depp and Stephen King adaptations to film form. Depp plays a writer who whilst going through a divorce and living out in the country in isolation, is suddenly menaced by John Turturo, who claims he is the victim of plagiarism perpetrated by Depp. Mysteries and murky shenanigans to follow... That the film, in spite of its flimsy heart, is watchable, is down to the two stars, both are filing in for eccentricities and spooky menace respectively. Yet it's a bit of a one trick pony and difficult to take seriously, while it's also surprisingly bloodless, negating the interest of the potential Stephen King blood-lust crowd. The reveal is something of a cheat given what has gone before, belief of suspension is so stretched to breaking point, you literally should be wondering just what all other characters were doing in the film?! Still, Johnny and John, resplendent with weird hats and hairdo's, give good camera time and save David Koepp's movie from stinker damnation. 6/10
Reno2016-12-14
★ 6/10
A successful writer who accused of plagiarism. It was based on the novel, though the original title makes more sense than this film. Maybe they wanted to avert the spoiler. But I don't think it would have affected much, because the twist comes at the final segment. The tale of a writer who is in the middle of divorce and now living alone is the lake house got threatened by a stranger, because according to him he stole his story. Followed by many unpleasant events, how he gets out of the trouble told in the next half. Feels just an okay kind. Though Johnny Depp was good. The suspense was good, particularly in the first half, but later it comes falling down. The second half was average, the twist was not interesting enough. After some point, you might predict it, but the point is it was too familiar. I especially did not like the finale, it was like not in detail. Still a watchable film, because of the actor and for decently made. So I think worth a watch if you keep a low expectation. 6/10
Kamurai2020-10-04
★ 7/10
Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend. This is a great mystery / psychological thriller, but most of what makes it interesting is a spoiler. They do a great job of creating the tension, or Johnny Depp does, as he's alone on screen for about half the movie. The rest of the cast is excellent and gives exactly what is needed to bring the movie, and the audience, to a natural conclusion.