Step into the fractured mind of Anna Fox in The Woman in the Window (2021) — a gripping psychological thriller that blurs the lines between reality and illusion. In this detailed movie plot breakdown, we uncover the haunting story of a woman trapped not only inside her home, but also within her deepest fears. As secrets unravel and trust crumbles, viewers are left questioning: what is real, and what is a dangerous hallucination? If you love suspense, twists, and dark mysteries, this 2021 movie plot is a must-read.
Our film "The Woman in the Window (2021)" begins with Dr. Anna Fox living alone with her cat, Poe. From her window, she observes new people moving into house number 101. Dr. Karl Landy, her psychiatrist, arrives and asks about her day and what she does, especially since she never leaves the house. Karl tries to persuade her to re-engage with life, but she refuses, insisting on living alone. Every night, she takes her glass and stays up late by the window. She has nothing to do but watch the lives of people from her window. Suddenly, she hears the doorbell ring and quickly runs to see who's there. When she looks, she finds someone saying, "I'm Ethan Russell, your new neighbor, and my mom sent me with a gift for you." But Anna says she doesn't open the door for anyone. When the boy insists she accept the gift, she decides to let him in, takes the gift, and thanks him.
Ethan and Anna's First Meeting: Details of Anna's Past and Her Work as a Child Psychologist
As soon as Ethan sees the photos on the fridge, he asks her, "Who are these?" Anna tells him they are her husband and daughter, but she's separated from them and lives alone, and that she's a child psychologist. Ethan is surprised that someone so young might need a psychologist. Anna explains that this is the most critical age a child can go through, and a simple incident can cause them to suffer for the rest of their lives. She notices Ethan changes the subject and tells her they used to live in Boston and that he can see her from their windows too. Anna feels Ethan is affected by her words and keeps telling him, "If you need to talk to anyone, my door is open." The boy believes her and stays, chatting with her. Anna gives him some DVDs to watch, and he takes his things and leaves.
David's Appearance and Anna's Strange Behavior on Halloween: Uncovering Agoraphobia
Anna goes back to watching TV. The next morning, she wakes up to find David Winter telling her he's leaving for two days. David has been renting her basement for about three months. He offers to fix the house lights, but Anna refuses because she doesn't like bright lights. He asks her how she'll spend Halloween. She tells him she'll turn off all the lights and stay alone. Even when he offers to bring her some candy to hand out to the kids on the street, she refuses, saying, "Whether I hand it out or not, the kids will still make noise." As soon as night falls, Anna hears banging and commotion in the street. Anna realizes that because she didn't hand out candy, the children are throwing eggs at her house. Anna keeps yelling at them to leave, but the children don't respond. So, she decides to go out to them, and as soon as she opens the door, she falls to the ground and faints. Jane Russell (also known as Jane 1) sees her by chance and wakes her up. As soon as she regains consciousness, Jane tells her she suffers from something called agoraphobia, which causes her to lose consciousness as soon as she goes into the light. Anna thanks her for the gift she sent with her son, Ethan. Jane tells her her husband is Russell. Anna tells her that David is just a tenant. Anna tells her she can't go out at all, and if she has to, she uses an umbrella so she doesn't get scared. The two of them chat for hours.
Jane Discovers Anna's Incorrect Medication Use and Talks About Russell and Ethan
Jane sees the sedatives Anna is taking and tells her it's wrong to drink with this medication because it will have the opposite effect. But Anna tells her she knows but can't stop. And she immediately changes the subject. Jane understands she doesn't want to talk. Jane shows her a picture of Ethan when he was little and tells her she lives her whole life for him. Anna is impressed with Jane's earring and learns it's a gift from a friend. Jane tells her that Russell, her husband, is a difficult person and always likes to be in control and stress everyone in the house, and that she's always worried about Ethan because he's very sensitive. Jane draws a picture of Anna with her cat as a gift. Neither of them wanted the session to end, but unfortunately, as it got late, Jane took her things and left.
Russell Knocks on the Door and a Mysterious Scream: Anna's Suspicions Grow
The next morning, Anna finds Russell, her neighbor, knocking on her door. As soon as he asks if anyone from his family came over, she says no because she knows from Jane that he has a difficult temperament. Russell takes his things and leaves. Anna goes out to tidy her room. Suddenly, she hears a sound and immediately calls the police. Before she can say, "Help me, I have a burglar," she finds David has returned. Anna apologizes to him for the disturbance and says, "You scared me, David." He tells her that Jane needs a screwdriver from them. So Anna gives him her toolbox, and he goes to help Jane with repairs. David notices that the roof needs repair and as soon as he goes up to see the situation, he says it might collapse at any moment. At night, Anna was sitting watching videos of her husband and daughter. Suddenly, she hears a loud scream and immediately calls 911.
Anna Observes and Suspects Russell: Neighbor Jane Leaves Distraught
At the same time, Anna calls Ethan to check on them. But he tells her everything is fine and there's no screaming or anything. But suddenly, as she's talking, she sees Jane (Jane 1) leaving the house distraught and running. Her phone rings, and Russell appears, asking her why she called them. Anna tells him she heard a loud scream and called to check on them. But he also tells her there's nothing, and tells her he's just sitting at home with Ethan. Here, she should have suspected him because she saw Jane crying when she left. So how could it be just him and Ethan? And immediately, she goes to get her cameras and goes down to ask David if he heard screaming like her, but he tells her he was watching a movie so he couldn't hear other sounds. Anna takes her things and goes up to watch Russell's house and sees him getting angry and yelling.
Ethan Collapses and Anna Tries to Help: Detective Karl Advises Anna to Stay Away in The Woman in the Window (2021) Movie
A little later, she finds Ethan coming to her house. She immediately goes down to open for him, and he was completely distraught. When Anna asks him, "What happened?", he tells her that Russell always pressures him. Anna keeps comforting him and tells him she's with him anytime. The next day, Anna calls Dr. Karl and tells him about Ethan, and that she thought of calling Child Protective Services, but she knows no one will believe her because of her health condition. Karl tells her to let it go and focus only on herself, and to stay in her routine of sleeping and waking up. One day, Anna wakes up to the sound of Jane (Jane 1) screaming. Suddenly, she sees Jane stabbed with a knife, but she can't tell who did it.
Jane's Stabbing and Police Confrontation: Detective Little Doubts Anna's Claims
Anna quickly runs to get her phone and calls Emergency Services. The emergency services were already tired of her. And she had to reach Jane before the police arrived. Anna takes her things and her umbrella and goes out to check on her. Suddenly, she finds a car in front of her and loses consciousness. As soon as she wakes up, she finds herself in her house with Detective Little and his assistant standing in front of her. She also finds Russell there, telling her he came to ask about his son and doesn't know anything about what she's saying. Anna keeps telling him that Jane complained to her a lot about him. And she tells them she saw everything that happened through her cameras, but unfortunately, she didn't manage to record the video. And of course, words without evidence mean no one will believe her. And when Anna insists on seeing Jane and checking on her, Russell calls to have her come. And surprisingly, it turns out to be a completely different woman (Jane 2). And Anna keeps yelling at them that this isn't the Jane she knows. And when she asks to see Ethan, as soon as he comes, he tells her, "My mom doesn't even know you, and she's never seen you." And as soon as Russell takes his wife and son and leaves, Little's assistant tells her they're tired of her false reports, and they take their things and leave.
Anna's Search for the Truth: Discoveries About the Russell Family and a Meeting with David
The next morning, Anna wakes up and searches for the Russell family. She looks for any pictures of the Jane (Jane 1) she knows. And she learns that Russell's secretary died under mysterious circumstances. And she immediately calls David because he entered Russell's house and asks him if he saw Jane there, but he doesn't answer her. Anna takes her things and decides to go down to his room. And she finds many messages scattered on the floor. And she learns that David had been imprisoned before. And suddenly, David enters and gets angry at her for entering his room without permission. And Anna keeps telling him she just wants to confirm if he met Jane, their neighbor. But he tells her he hasn't met Jane at all. Anna takes her things and walks away from him.
Jane's Earring Reappears: A Confrontation Between Anna and Ethan in The Woman in the Window (2021) film
Anna had no choice but to keep watching Jane's house and filming them, hoping to find something. And suddenly, her phone rings, and it's Jane (Jane 2), her neighbor, who tells her, "Shame on you, stop filming us and watching my house." And she also tells her she will report her to the police. The next morning, she wakes up to look for her cat but hears its voice in David's room. And when she goes to get it out, she's surprised by Jane's earring on the table. Anna doesn't know who to believe. And she spends several days in tension until she finds Ethan leaving his house. And Anna keeps calling him like crazy, saying, "Where is my mother, son? What did you do to her?" And he immediately goes to her house and gets angry at her, saying, "Leave me alone, you didn't even see my mother." And when she tells him, "Tell me what's on your mind, and I'm with you," before the boy speaks, he finds someone pulling him by the scruff of his neck. And it turns out to be his father who tells Anna he has reached the end of his patience with her, and that he also knows she's been looking into him. And he tells her, "You are playing a game you are not capable of." And he takes his things and leaves.
A Mysterious Message and Tragic Remembrance: Detective Little Suspects Anna's Hallucinations
The next morning, Anna was taking out her medications and found the picture Jane (Jane 1) drew. And she was sure she was right. But she didn't know how to act. And suddenly, she finds a message from a strange number. And she knows someone is watching her. And he sent her a picture of her in her house. And she immediately calls Detective Little, who comes and finds no trace of anyone strange entering. And by chance, he sees Anna's medication and knows she's mentally ill and undergoing treatment. And as soon as Russell arrives, he tells Little that Anna is watching his house, and also periodically attacks his son. A little later, David also arrives and denies knowing Jane (Jane 1). And he tells them that on the day of the incident, he was out late with his girlfriend Katie. And when she told the story of the earring, no one believed her. And she tells them, "If my husband were here, he would surely believe me." And here was the surprise: we learn that Anna's family died in an accident. And Anna remembers the day of the accident, she was on a trip with her husband and daughter. And on the way, she argued with Michael, her husband, because he knew she was having an affair with her colleague at work. Suddenly, a strange number rings her, and Michael gets angry and wants to answer the phone himself.
A Horrific Accident Changes Everything: Anna Loses Her Family and Memories
And when Anna screams and tries to grab the phone from his hand, an auto accident happens, and her husband and daughter die. And of course, Anna can't save them. And that's why she's undergoing treatment. Little continues his speech and tells her he spoke to Dr. Karl, who said her medications might cause hallucinations. So, everything that happened is very likely to be hallucinations. And Anna keeps crying and apologizing to them for causing them trouble. And she decides she will resume her therapy sessions. And she starts her first session and tells Dr. Karl that she wants to return to her life and that she has made up her mind. And she also tells him that David is leaving and that he will come to pick up his things in the afternoon. But Karl was nervous that she would be alone. But Anna tries to reassure him that she will be fine. And after he leaves, Anna locks herself in.
Anna Discovers the Truth: Jane's Reflection in the Cat's Picture and David Reveals Katie's Secret
And the windows are closed. And she gathers all her medications and intends to end her life. And she sits down to record a video for poor David because he might bear the entire blame. And every time she tries to record, she can't finish. And she couldn't do it to herself. So, she gets up and keeps looking at pictures of her daughter. Suddenly, she finds a picture of her cat, and the light reflected in it shows Jane (Jane 1). And with that, she confirms that she's still in her right mind and that she's right, not them. And quickly, she takes the picture and puts it on the laptop and keeps zooming in. At this time, she hears the door open, and David appears. And she shows David the picture, but he tells her it's Katie and not Jane, and that he actually spent the night with her once. And he tells her her story: she was Russell's wife. And when she got tired of him and his ways, she ran away while she was pregnant with Ethan.
Ethan the Killer: A Shocking End for David and the Revelation of Ethan's True Motives
And Russell kept looking for her for two years until he found her. And at that time, she was hanging out with a group of drug addicts. So, he took his son from her, and she went to prison. And when she found out where her son was, Russell kept paying her money to stay away from Ethan. So Anna asks him to go with her to the police and tell the truth so they believe she's not crazy. But David refuses and leaves her to go. And before she leaves the laptop and runs after him, the laptop falls to the ground, the screen breaks, and the picture disappears. Suddenly, she hears David scream. And before she goes to see what happened, she's surprised by Ethan, who had already finished off David, and comes to finish her off. And he tells her, "This is your knife, and you are already suspected, so the crime will stick to you." And the disaster is that he tells her that he is the one who killed Katie, and that he also killed David to receive his punishment too because the two of them were having an affair. And he also tells her that he will finish off any traitors, and that he knows she also betrayed her husband. And that he came to this area specifically for her when he heard her story from the real estate agent, so he decided to live across from her.
The Final Confrontation on the Roof: Anna Defeats Ethan and Justice Prevails
And here Anna confirms that he is the one who killed his father's secretary. And Anna tries to occupy her mind and tells him, "Okay, this is how I was planning to end my life." And she asks him to let her do it herself. And she pretends to drink the medications. And as soon as Ethan approaches her, she hits him in the face with the bottle and runs away from him. And David is still alive and tries to help her and holds Ethan so Anna can escape. But unfortunately, he escapes and runs after her. And he drags her by her legs down the stairs. And Anna keeps resisting and runs to the roof. And it was raining, and of course, her phobia kicks in, and she's unable to run. At this time, Ethan comes up and tries to drown her in the rainwater that filled the place. And Anna keeps running from him left and right until he hits her in the face with an iron bar. And before he finishes her off, Anna remembers that David told her the roof needed repair. And quickly, she runs there and keeps hitting Ethan until the roof takes them both and they fall.
The End: Anna Recovers and Begins a New Life After the Truth is Revealed in The Woman in the Window (2021) Movie
And when Anna wakes up, she finds herself in the hospital with Detective Little in front of her. And he apologizes for his suspicions about her, and that he confirmed she was right. And he tells her he arrested Russell. And he tells her that her cat is safe until she recovers. And he tells her he saw her video and asks her to delete it before handing the phone over to the investigators. And Anna thanks him for standing by her and saving her. And after about nine months, Anna is completely recovered. And she decides to sell the house and go build a new life. And she starts walking in the streets again, and her phobia is gone. And she continues her life normally. And our film The Woman in the Window (2021) ends this way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About The Woman in the Window (2021) Movie:
1. What is The Woman in the Window (2021) movie about?
The film follows Anna Fox, an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnesses a crime while spying on her neighbors, leading to a descent into paranoia and mystery.2. Is The Woman in the Window based on a book?
Yes, the movie is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by A.J. Finn, a psychological thriller that became a bestseller.3. Who plays the lead role in The Woman in the Window (2021)?
Amy Adams stars as Anna Fox, delivering a powerful performance as the mentally fragile protagonist.4. What mental illness does Anna Fox have in the movie?
Anna Fox suffers from agoraphobia and anxiety, which are intensified by her isolation, trauma, and heavy medication.5. Is The Woman in the Window connected to Rear Window?
The film is often compared to Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window due to similar voyeuristic themes, but it is not a remake.
6. What happens at the end of The Woman in the Window?
The ending reveals the truth behind the murder Anna witnessed, exposing lies, hidden identities, and a shocking twist involving the true killer.7. Where can I watch The Woman in the Window (2021)?
The film is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.Read more stories like this on The Story Loom – your destination for true crime and movie plots:
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Sources for The Woman in the Window (2021):
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IMDb – Official Movie Page
For full cast, crew, release info, and user ratings, check out The Woman in the Window (2021) on IMDb. It's the most comprehensive database for film details. -
Netflix – Streaming Platform
The movie is available exclusively on Netflix. You can watch it here: The Woman in the Window on Netflix. -
Rotten Tomatoes – Reviews & Critics Score
To see how critics and audiences responded to the film, visit Rotten Tomatoes: The Woman in the Window (2021). -
Wikipedia – Background and Plot Summary
For an in-depth summary and background information on the novel and movie adaptation, go to The Woman in the Window (film) Wikipedia page. -
The Guardian – Film Review
Read a professional critical analysis of the film in The Guardian’s review of The Woman in the Window.