History Main / RearWindowWitness

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk'': In the middle of a botched heist, V and Jackie are forced to hide in a room and witness [[spoiler:Yorinobu Arasaka murder his father Saburo Arasaka, the head of the Arasaka megacorporation, in cold blood and hear them discuss how Yorinobu stole a Relic chip (the one holding Johnny Silverhand) from his father to sell it to Netwatch.]]

* In the ''Series/{{Castle}}'' episode "The Lives of Others," Castle is so bored while recovering from a snowboarding accident, he starts watching his neighbors with binoculars, and sees what he's convinced is a man murdering his girlfriend with a knife, but neither he nor Beckett can find any hard evidence, so everyone except Castle is convinced he's just going crazy with boredom. Beckett even refers to it specifically as a "rear window scenario." [[spoiler:Turns out Beckett staged the whole thing as a birthday present to Castle, and everyone, including the "murderer" and "victim," were in on the prank.]]

* In ''Film/LadyOnATrain'', San Francisco debutante Nicki Collins goes to visit her aunt in New York. Before reaching Grand Central, Nicki's train makes a brief stop and, when she looks up from the book she is reading - a mystery by novelist Wayne Morgan - she witnesses a murder in a nearby building.
* In what should be the most ridiculous possible example, '''but isn't''', 2003's ''Film/Mimic3Sentinel'' was pitched as "RearWindowHomage [[RecycledInSpace with giant cockroaches]]." In the movie, the protagonist is confined to his house by an acute immune system disorder caused by the ''last'' outbreak of the giant cockroaches. Surprisingly watchable, and easily the best of the ''Film/{{Mimic}}'' movies; ''Film/RearWindow'' is apparently a Bullet Proof Script.

* In ''Film/LadyOnATrain'', San Francisco debutante Nicki Collins goes to visit her aunt in New York Before reaching Grand Central, Nicki's train makes a brief stop and, when she looks up from the book she is reading - a mystery by novelist Wayne Morgan - she witnesses a murder in a nearby building.

* In ''Film/WitnessToMurder'', a woman (played by Creator/BarbaraStanwyck) sees a murder committed in the apartment across the street from her, leading to the murderer attempting to {{Gaslight}} and then murder her to keep quiet.

* ''Film/AbsolutePower'': Creator/ClintEastwood's Cat Burglar character is trapped in a special safe/closet with a one-way mirror when burglarizing a mansion. A couple comes in, they have rough sex, and the man's bodyguards mistakenly shoot and kill the woman. The woman was the elderly homeowner's trophy wife, and the man was ''the President of the United States''. Clint initially tries to flee the country, but instead he vows to expose the truth.

* In the third ''Film/HomeAlone'' movie, the protagonist is home sick from school and witnesses the burglary of a neighbor's home, but can't get anyone to believe him.

* In ''Film/ScareCampaign'', Emma can only watch helplessly on the monitor as the AxeCrazy Rohan attacks Marcus and Dick with [[AnAxetoGrind an axe]]: seemingly butchering both of them.

A protagonist is caught in a situation where he is ForcedToWatch a crime (or what [[StabTheSalad he thinks]] is a crime) but is powerless to do anything to stop it. Later on he may be [[CassandraTruth unable to prove a crime has occurred]], or he may find himself [[HeKnowsTooMuch targeted by the killer looking to eliminate any witnesses]].

* In ''Film/DeathWalksOnhighHeels'', Captain Lenny is [[NaughtyBirdWatching using his telescope to spy on Nicole]] when he witnesses her murder, although the rainy weather prevents him from getting a clear look at the killer.

* In the first part of ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins'', Commissioner Loeb is locked into a poison-filled chamber by Black Mask while Batman watches helplessly behind glass.

%%* The ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' episode "Witness".

%%* ''Series/TheUnusuals'' has an episode along these lines.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'': Rocko in the episode "Ed is Dead", where he thinks Bev killed Ed during an argument. Cue RearWindowInvestigation, and TheReveal that [[spoiler: what actually got destroyed and buried was only a meatloaf ''sculpture'' of Ed, and that Ed was at the doctor's having a wart removed from his butt.]]

%%* Gary gets caught up in a plot while stuck in his apartment with a broken leg in an episode of ''Series/EarlyEdition''.

* The TropeNamer is Creator/AlfredHitchcock's classic 1954 film ''Film/RearWindow'', in which Creator/JimmyStewart is laid up with a broken leg and sees enough to make him suspect that his neighbour has murdered his wife. Later he can only watch as the might-be killer returns to the apartment while his girlfriend is searching it.
** Remade in 1998, with wheelchair-bound, paralyzed Creator/ChristopherReeve playing the wheelchair-bound, paralyzed protagonist. A particularly effective moment comes when [[spoiler:the murderous neighbor breaks into Reeve's apartment and unplugs his ventilator]], a situation that you just ''know'' Reeve had either experienced or had nightmares about.
*** Reeve actually spoke without a ventilator during filming.

* ''Film/BodyDouble''

* ...and then along comes ''Film/{{Abominable}}'' to disprove that theory, where the villain-across-the-street is none other than ''Bigfoot''. Yeah.
* In ''Film/SorryWrongNumber'', a crossed line causes an invalid to [[ExactEavesDropping overhear]] two people planning to kill her.
* ''Film/ClubhouseDetectives'' is a kid-friendly version from the 90s, where a kid spots the murder from the bathroom window, and tries to convince his mom and the police. Since this is a kids movie, AdultsAreUseless and they have to take matter into their own hands.
* In ''Film/{{Burglar}}'', based on ''[[Literature/BernieRhodenbarr The Burglar in the Closet]]'' by Lawrence Block, Whoopi Goldberg's character is hiding in a closet during a burglary when she witnesses an extended bed-rattling session, followed by a killing. She isn't able to see the face of the murderer, however.
* In the third ''Film/HomeAlone'' movie, the protagonist is home sick from school and witnesses the burglary of a neighbor's home, but can't get anyone to believe him.

* In the movie ''Film/TheBayBoy'', the main character witnesses a murder through a store window by a crooked cop, but is scared by the cop into not telling anyone.
* In ''Film/TheWindow'', a young boy is watching from the fire escape as his neighbors murder a man with a [[ShearMenace pair of scissors]]. He reports the incident to the police but nobody believes him.
* In ''Film/TigerBay'', the curious girl Gillie peeks through the mail slot of the neighbor's apartment door only to witness Bronek kill his girlfriend in a rage.

* In ''Film/{{girlhouse}}'', Alex is watching a private online show with Devon when she is attacked and mutilated by Loverboy.
* In ''Film/DontOpenTillChristmas'', the girl working the peep show can only watch helplessly as her client is stabbed to death on the other side of the glass.
* ''Film/ABCsOfDeath2'':
** In "K [[spoiler:is for Knell]]", the woman witnesses multiple murders being committed in the apartment block opposite while standing on her balcony.
** In "S [[spoiler:is for Split]]", a man in France is on the phone to his wife when an intruder breaks into their home and attacks her with a hammer.
* In ''Film/TheWitchFiles'', Claire is talking to Jules via webcam when she witness the black smoke enter Jules' room and attacks her.
* In ''Film/MurderSheSaid'' (based on ''4:50 from Paddington'' by Creator/AgathaChristie), Miss Marple is studying the passengers on the express passing her train when the blind in one compartment flies up, revealing a set of gloved hands strangling a woman.

* In the Creator/AgathaChristie novel ''[[Literature/MissMarple 4:50 from Paddington]]'' and its film version ''Murder She Said'', a character on a train witnesses a murder happening on another train on a parallel track.

** Parodied in "Bart of Darkness", when a wheelchair-bound Bart thinks Ned Flanders killed his wife, when it turns out [[spoiler: he accidentally killed his wife's favorite houseplant. The high-pitched scream Bart heard earlier [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl came from Ned]].]]
** Parodied in "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" — again with Bart — but with the twist that, in fact, Bart saw that a crime ''wasn't'' committed. The accused man is innocent, but there's so much circumstantial evidence, and the legal system in Springfield is so corrupt, that he'll be convicted unless Bart speaks up.