Secret Window (2004)

Overview
Secret Window is a mental thriller directed by David Koepp and is based on the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King. The 2004 film stars Johnny Depp and John Turturro, amongst others. It follows the story of an author who, while going through a tough divorce, starts to face hazard from a stranger who accuses him of plagiarism.

Plot
The film begins with author Mort Rainey (played by Johnny Depp) finding his partner Amy (played by Maria Bello) having an affair. The couple separates and Mort transfers to a cabin in the woods to deal with his author's block. Four months later on, Mort is confronted by a Mississippi farmer called John Shooter (played by John Turturro) who implicates him of plagiarizing his story.

Shooter leaves a manuscript with Mort, who dismisses him initially. Upon checking out the story, Mort realizes that Shooter's story entitled "Secret Window" is practically similar to his story "Sowing Season", that he published years earlier. Mort tries to challenge Shooter with proof of his prior publication, however Shooter demands Mort to customize his story's ending in line with his version.

Coming down into Madness
As Mort's efforts to fix the issue continue, mystical deaths happen in his close circle, that includes his dog and a private investigator. He thinks Shooter, but the proof keeps vanishing. Matters intensify when Shooter burns down Amy's home thinking she and her sweetheart, Ted (played by Timothy Hutton), had actually been conspiring with Mort against him.

The Twist
In a twist of events, it is exposed that Mort has dissociative identity condition, suffering a mental breakdown after finding his better half's adultery that resulted in the production of Shooter as an alternate character. All the atrocities were committed by Mort himself, thinking it was Shooter. The climax unfolds as Mort, having now fully transitioned into Shooter, eliminates Amy and Ted who arrive at the cabin to discuss their divorce terms.

The Aftermath
The motion picture concludes with Mort, now living alone and totally taken over by the 'Shooter' persona. The 'Secret Window' has been exposed in the cabin, looking out onto a secret garden, reflecting the change of his persona and his submission to his darker side.

Conclusion
Secret Window is a nail-biting suspense thriller with a shocking twist underlining the instability of the human mind under stress. Depp's representation of Mort, a male spiralling into madness, his isolation magnifying his fear and resulting in murderous alter ego, makes it a fascinating watch. This motion picture takes King's familiar trope, a writer lead character, and adds a complex psychological layer, delivering an appealing narrative at the same time.

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