Open Windows (2014) Review!!

Synopsis – An actress named Jill refuses to have dinner with Nick, a fan who won a date with her in an Internet contest. In return, a guy named Chord, posing as Jill’s campaign manager, helps Nick to follow in the footsteps of the actress from his own computer. Nick starts a game in which he realizes that he is only a puppet into the maniacal plans devised by Chord, to hunt down the star.

My Take – Director Nacho Vigalondo is crazy! & to agree with me you have to watch this film. He uses one of the most ridiculous & nearly over used ideas & creates an edge of a seat high concept thriller by shooting it one of the most unconventional ways possible! Can you believe the whole film is shot on laptop camera, security & handy cams? Like I said the film has a quite ridiculous & stupid plot around two obsessed fans while one kidnaps the actress, the other tries to save her!

The film doesn’t take much time dealing with the ethics of spying on someone but, rather, jumps right into a fast-passed thrill ride until the twist climax. The story is told in real-time, following multiple events, and various plot points reveled through pop-up windows on the screen. The film can be easily related & can be considered as a revamped version of many Alfred Hitchcock thrillers! While all the editing and camera work was superb specially the laptop screen, it does take some time to get used to but, the tension ramps up quickly and, though the format is pivotal to the story, you almost forget that you’re watching anything but a standard narrative. The film has its share of flaws, which I can divulge much into without giving out the twists, a certain insertion of a plot twist at the end just in order to treat the film in a more complex take (In my opinion) was quite unnecessary, whereas it had stuck to the road it began from the ending would had been more impactful.

Elijah Wood has been tackling some interesting indie thrillers for the past few years (Maniac, Grand Piano), his innocence & confused character is totally likeable & make you root for him even though the chance of his success seem dim. Sasha Grey looks pretty & does a decent job. Overall, Open Windows’ is another attempt at an unconventional, high-concept thriller exploring the medium of film at its heart, which it may not be among the best thrillers out there, it sure has a lot more going on to root for it! Give it a watch!!