I’m not entirely convinced that this is the reincarnation of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. For one thing, there’s too much banter between protagonist and antagonist. Much of the eeriness in Rear Window came from the lack of communication between the two parties except for the burning embers of a lit cigarette. Furthermore, I’m not a fan of “found footage” style movies. I know that Open Windows isn’t technically found footage, but I get the feeling that it will suffer from all the same limitations, like having to explain why a camera is constantly on the subjects. Some parts of the trailer even remind me of Getaway (2013), which isn’t a good thing. Nevertheless, Elijah Wood is a competent actor and hopefully his emoting in front of PC/tablet screens will be enough to carry the film. Look for Open Windows in select theaters on November 7, 2014 and on VOD in an early release on October 2, 2014.
Synopsis
Oscar®-nominated writer-director Nacho Vigalondo (The ABCs of Death, Extraterrestrial, V/H/S Viral) creates an action-packed world of voyeurism and suspense in his thriller Open Windows. Nick (Elijah Wood, Maniac, The Lord of the Rings) is excited to discover that he’s won a dinner date with his favorite actress, Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey, Would You Rather, The Girlfriend Experience). But when Jill refuses to honor the contest, her manager Chord (Neil Maskell, Wild Bill, Pusher) makes an offer he can’t refuse: the ability to view Jill secretly via computer. Nick begins watching the unknowing star on her webcam, not realizing that this decision will put both himself and Jill at risk as they enter a terrifying world of cat-and-mouse where nothing-and no one-are as they seem.