'The Woman in the Window' Gets Its R Rating for What You Might Expect (SPOILERS)

The Netflix film The Woman in the Window follows its predecessors' Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train in psychological thriller territory. The film follows Dr. Anna Fox (Amy Adams), an agoraphobic child psychologist whose trauma keeps her indoors. When the neighboring family moves in, and Anna becomes convinced there was a murder, a dark series of events unravels. 

Those interested in watching the flick have been wondering why The Woman in the Window is rated R. Here's everything we know about the rating and all the reasons for its severity. 

This article contains spoilers for The Woman in the Window. 

The film's official R rating is marked as such for "violence and language," according to IMBd. There is no nudity, and uses of language include thirteen instances of profanity, mostly the "F-word." The biggest concerns for viewers who are interested in watching the movie but concerned about mature content are related to the plot. 

In the film, the main character Anna befriends neighbors Alistair and Jane Russell. She also becomes close with the Russells' teenage son, Ethan. Despite her reclusive nature, she is fond of her neighbors. One night, Anna witnesses "Jane" being stabbed to death in the living room and immediately calls the police.

To defend himself, Alistair arrives with "Jane," a different woman from the one Anna had previously met. Uncertain of her mind due to the amount of medication she has been consuming, she has a nervous breakdown and considers taking her own life. Her fellow tenant David has also met the Russells and denies the existence of a separate "Jane," but confesses that the woman Anna had seen murdered was Katie, Ethan's birth mother.

As it turns out, Ethan is quite the killer, and he has been stalking Anna in her apartment at night. After he confesses to the murder of his father's secretary and later murders David, Anna flees as he attempts to murder her too. She thwarts Ethan by pushing him through a skylight, which ultimately leads to his death. Most of the scenes are mildly bloody, but the film does show wounds, blood pools, and stabbing. 

Gore and violence are the biggest reasons for the film's R rating, but anyone struggling with addiction, suicidal ideology, or agoraphobia might want to steer clear of this movie. While the idea of trigger warnings before a film has been the subject of some debate, it's important for people who might be affected by depictions of sensitive subjects to have a heads-up before they're caught unawares. 

Ultimately, The Woman in the Window fits with the rest of its genre, psychologically twisty with a few interspersed instances of gore and violence. If you're wary of televised violence but still interested in the plot, maybe pick up a copy of the novel of the same name that was adapted into the movie and see if it helps? 

You can stream The Woman in the Window now exclusively on Netflix. 

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.