We live in an era of unprecedented technology and access to information. However, that carries with it numerous privacy concerns, all of which are far from settled. Open Windows, the latest film from director Nacho Vigalondo, looks at the concerns of the technological age through the form of Hitchcock and De Palma, but without any of the tiresome techo-panic that would in appear in films of old like The Net. Shot almost entirely through webcams, the film and its presentation are never weighted down by a gimmick; it flows.
While watching the webcast of a Q&A featuring his favorite actress, Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey), Nick Chambers (Elijah Wood) receives an odd call from a man calling himself Chord (Neil Maskell). Loading programs onto Nick’s computer, Chord presents Nick with all the private information imaginable concerning Jill. He can listen to her phone calls or view her from the camera on her phone. Before long, Nick realizes that Chord is setting him up for the murder of Jill Goddard. Communicating with a coalition of French hackers, Nick must save Jill from a grisly murder before it’s too late.
The term Hitchcockian is tossed about liberally, but here it definitely fits. Open Windows is very much about the voyeuristic tendencies of the internet, a theme prevalent throughout Hitchcock’s work. The film takes on a darker relevance to our modern times in the shadow of the leaked nudes of numerous public figures. Threats of violence are levied against Jill in order to get her to expose herself before a camera, and the files will be uploaded unless Chord is stopped in time. The sensationalized sex angle, as well as the casting of a former pornstar, and the experimental film techniques only confirm that this is very much a descendant of De Palma and Hitchcock.
Occupying most of the screen time is Elijah Wood, who is as steady as ever. Sasha Grey has made significant strides as an actress since her feature film debut in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience. She’s still not a particularly good actress, but she doesn’t derail the movie like she previously did. There’s a playfulness to everything happening in this movie, like everyone is having fun. As I said earlier, the film’s different presentation isn’t a gimmick. This isn’t a found footage movie. Though the film collapses under its late twist, it’s entertaining enough that a subpar ending can’t undermine what is mostly a solid film.
Open Windows isn’t anything less than a smartly crafted thriller presented through a different lens. While not perfect, Vigalondo does more with less. There’s an urgency and suspense that is lacking in too many films these days. While the payoff isn’t the most satisfactory, it’s a footnote to an otherwise traditional suspense film.
Open Windows is currently available for rental through VOD providers and hits theaters on November 7th.