REVIEW: ‘The Secret Woman’ Never Truly Gets Going

The Secret Woman, directed by Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg and written by Anders Frithiof August, Anna Ekberg, and Anders Rønnow Klarlund, follows Louise (Natalie Wolfsberg Madueño), an amnesiac who learns she has a family and a shipping empire she has forgotten. But as she reconnects with her former self, she discovers not all is as idyllic as it seems. 

Louise’s journey as she tries to make sense of her new/old life sets up a fair amount of promise. The way The Secret Woman explores the struggles of reintegrating into a life you’ve forgotten, especially when it includes a child, is compelling at first. However, because the movie’s nearly two-hour runtime focuses on the mystery surrounding her old life, the plot shifts away from these fairly interesting struggles to a mystery that never fully comes together.

Major problems hold this movie back from being better than it is. The central plot has solid twists that provide intrigue, but everything surrounding the story never creates the tension and drama needed to pull the viewer in. So while there is a consistent curiosity about what actually happened to Louise, the drama and danger the film tries to build largely fall flat.  The Secret Woman mostly falls short because it lacks style and emphasis at almost every level of presentation. From acting to camera work and soundtrack, nothing ever hits well enough to stand out. 

Despite some solid twists, The Secret Woman never musters up the tension needed to drive it forward.

For example, in a scene where Louise is chased down an alley by an unknown assailant and must hide, the setup clearly wants the moment to be tense. Will she elude capture? Who exactly is pursuing her? These questions are present, but the moment doesn’t build them up, aside from a musical presence that adds a general sense of tension, though not much. 

The camera work is competent, but lacks pull. We see the cat and mouse, but we’re not drawn into it in large part because uninspiring camera angles keep the subjects too distant to be truly effective. The sound and lighting similarly feel lackluster, as they accommodate the moment with a clear presentation, but lack a strong enough impact to help build the danger that is supposed to be present. Even Madueño’s acting registers more like concern than true fear. 

These kinds of issues permeate every scene of the movie. The only thing that works for the film in a standout way is the pacing. The story doesn’t linger too long in any moment and keeps the reveals and mystery coming at you at a fluid enough pace to make discoveries feel earned but not belabored. 

In a sea of similar genre fare, The Secret Woman struggles to stand out and make a mark.

The biggest place where The Secret Woman falls apart is in the final confrontation once Louise has learned the truth. While we have learned that the villains are without scruples and will do truly heinous things, in the moment they utterly fail to feel threatening. They are so busy explaining the nuances of what happened that the supposed imminent threat to the protagonist’s person gets lost in the discourse.

These particular shortcomings are compounded by the mediocre presentation that plagues the rest of the film. Again, the cinematography, sound, and lighting are not implemented in a way that augments the tone of the moment. The acting also falls short, presenting some menace, but not enough to sell the scene. The emotional delivery never comes across with enough potency to make the final hit. 

The Secret Woman is a textbook example of a forgettable film. While not wholly bad, its shortcomings pile up, making it underwhelming in virtually every respect. There are far better genre entries to enjoy if you are a fan of the genre comparatively.

The Secret Woman is streaming now, exclusively on Netflix.