Average thriller.

Secret Window is a psychological thriller adapted from the pages of a story penned by celebrated horror author Stephen King. The transplantation from short story to script was carried out by David Koepp; a man who has composed a number of incredibly successful screenplays in the course of his reputable career. Koepp's résumé asserts such titles as Jurassic Park, Spider-Man and Carlito's Way. For those fond of the Stephen King novella, rest assured that David Koepp has done a stellar job of converting these pages to the silver screen.

Secret Window is a tale about famed writer Mort Rainey (Depp) who is suffering through an acrimonious divorce and is now residing in an isolated lakeside cottage in New York. Mort is trying to complete his latest novel; however at present he is afflicted with writer's block and is incapable of concluding the story. After a remarkable opening sequence, Mort is confronted by a stranger named John Shooter (Turturro); an irate man from Mississippi who arrives to accuse Mort of plagiarising his story. Mort realises that the manuscript of Shooter's story is identical to his: word for word, chapter for chapter. The only difference is the ending. Although Mort is adamant he wrote his story first, Shooter conveys an ultimatum: that Mort has a few days to corroborate his innocence of plagiarism to continue his life unhindered. Mort is confident of his innocence; nevertheless he cannot dismiss Shooter's allegation frivolously. Things in Mort's life suddenly begin to go sour as his divorce worsens and peculiar things begin to occur. As Shooter intently stalks Mort, he now has only 3 days to uncover the truth behind Shooter's purpose and to discover the truth about who is responsible for the sudden outbreak of chilling events.

Johnny Depp will always be regarded as one of the best, if not the best actor of his generation. Without failure Depp continues to produce piles of idiosyncratic, unique portrayals of different characters. Playing the role of Mort Rainey, I believe that Depp succeeds remarkably. His portrayal is suitably quirky, humorous, believable, well polished and top notch. It's imperative for the audience to empathise with the situation that Mort has been thrown into. With Depp, he looks cute and innocent. And as time goes by, Depp has cleverly made his character look like he's on the edge and steadily going insane.

John Turturro is a great choice on the part of the casting department. When John Shooter appears on screen Turturro's performance is suitably menacing and establishes a perilous atmosphere. It was vital to ensure Shooter's threats seemed genuine. Turturro executed this role with great class and sophistication. I certainly can't complain about the rest of the cast. They deliver realistic performances; maintaining the style of the central protagonists.

Secret Window has also been blessed with skilled direction thanks to David Koepp. Each shot looks stylish and fascinating. The intriguing opening sequence in particular was enough to keep my interest. When we are introduced to Mort's lifestyle everything seems realistic. The secluded setting is a great atmospheric touch as well. This thriller is brilliant throughout the first half; containing strong performances, solid use of the camera, and a number of genuine shocks. But the whole film is ultimately let down by its descent into stupidity when the film has commenced its concluding half. The 'twist' at the end of the film is entirely predictable as well.

Overall, Secret Window is a mediocre thriller worth seeing for its classy directing and strong performances. With a few script touch ups this could have been a whole lot better. A wasted opportunity.