Kristen Bell saves underwhelming storyline
With the first episode debuting on Jan. 28, the new Netflix show “The Woman Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” has become a popular source of talk on all social media platforms. Due to an outstandingly funny performance by Kristen Bell, the show has gained numerous amounts of attention, regarding opinions favoring the show and equally disliking the show.
The comedy surfaces around poking fun at Netflix’s previous thriller movie “The Woman in the Window” which received a 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. While the show’s attempt at a playful mockery of their past venture was clear, the reviews have not been as positive as some may have hoped. Despite hilarious performances by Kristen Bell, Mary Holland, and Tom Riley, the story still appeared lukewarm at times. The storyline ends up feeling repetitive and hard to engage with after watching a couple of episodes.
That being said, I believe praise towards Bell’s performance in the show is completely valid despite disliking the actual storyline. With Bell playing the lead role of Anna, a woman suffering from a painful heartbreak who witnesses a violent event, her clever combination of comedy and seriousness influences many hilarious moments that ensure audible laughter. Similar to Amy Adams’ character in the previous thriller, both main characters have a mental illness that influences them to stay in their house for the duration of their day. With Bell’s character having a mental illness called ombrophobia, the fear of rain, and Adams’ character having agoraphobia, an extreme fear of entering crowded spaces, the show represents a comical contrast between topics discussed in the movie compared to the show.
Ultimately, I believe that the new Netflix show would have been more successful overall if it took place in a two and a half hour movie format. Because the show’s main ideas and plot have already been done, a movie format would have avoided inevitable moments of boredom throughout the episodes in order to speed up the overall story. However, if streaming audiences have time to spare and do not mind semi-predictable storylines, and wish to find a new comedy show, they may find the parody a worthy watch.
