WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Woman in the Window, now streaming on Netflix.
The Woman in the Window's main character Anna suffers from agoraphobia. Yet, while she's aware she's unable to leave her home, Anna doesn't seem to know what triggered her condition. However, things change when one of the detectives investigating the murder she claims she saw from her window reminds her of the traumatic event that changed her world.
Throughout the movie, whenever Anna falls asleep, she dreams about snow falling from the sky, but it's not clear why. After all, Anna doesn't go outside and the movie takes place during the summer. When she's asked about her family, Anna says she's separated from her husband, Ed, and her young daughter, Libby, lives with him. Given her condition, this makes sense. Plus, the audience regularly hears Anna's phone conversations with Ed.
However, the truth comes to light when Anna mentions her husband during the course of the murder investigation, and Detective Norelli informs her that her family is dead. This forces Anna to remember what really happened to her husband and child, and it sheds light on the reason she keeps dreaming about falling snow.
During the holidays, Anna and Ed drove to the mountains with Libby for a skiing trip. It's snowing as they progress toward their destination, and Anna and Ed are visibly tense. They've decided to take a vacation for the holidays for Libby's sake, but they're on the verge of getting separated due to Anna's infidelity. As Anna drives, Ed assails her for trying to hide the truth from their daughter.
Things then get worse when Anna receives a call. Ed believes that it's probably the man she's having an affair with, and when he attempts to pick it up, she knocks the phone from his hand. It lands in the backseat, and Anna takes her eyes off the road as she attempts to retrieve it. Unfortunately, as she turns away she misses a curve and, as Anna helplessly watches the snowfall, the car goes flying off a hill and lands upside down at the bottom. Anna is the only one who regains consciousness after the accident, so she climbs into the backseat to check on Libby, only to find her unconscious. Anna grabs her phone to call for help, but sadly, there's no service.
As a child psychologist, Anna feels especially protective of children and, because she feels responsible for killing her own child, it seems the only way she's found to cope was to block out the tragedy and seek refuge in her home. This is how Anna's brownstone becomes the only place she feels safe in the world.
Directed by Joe Wright, The Woman in the Window stars Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Tracy Letts, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julianne Moore. It is available on Netflix.
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