Watcher follows the stalker thriller genre tropes fairly closely but it is suspenseful, intense, and a whole lot of fun.
Watcher may be predictable, and find itself falling into all the stalker thriller tropes, but it is also intense and suspenseful. For a while it feels like nothing is really happening, and viewers might even start to second guess themselves while they pick apart the actions of the lead, Julia, but the final thirty minutes are what pushes this film into the top of the Sundance screenings so far.
The start of the movie sees Julia (Maika Monroe) moving with her husband to Romania for his job — and she ends up alone in her apartment ninety percent of the time because of his long work hours. When she discovers a killer, who the news is calling the Spider, is on the loose, she starts to think she is being stalked by him.
Julia often feels a presence around her, and claims to see a man watching her from across her apartment window. As with most stalker thrillers, no one believes her, and she even becomes the butt of some of her husband’s jokes. Eventually she takes matters into her own hands and seeks out her stalker. She confides in her neighbor Irina (Madalina Anea) and the two start to form a close bond.
In order to avoid spoilers, let me just say that this is one of those movies that makes you wonder if this is all in the head of the lead or if it is really happening — and in turn it makes you think you might be a little bit crazy too. The twists and turns might be predictable at times, but it sure is a lot of fun to try to guess where things are going — especially if you are watching with a group of friends.
As with most thrillers there are jump scares, and they are all perfectly placed in order to heighten the suspense and intensity. The decision to make the man’s face is darkened and hard to make out for half the movie is a brilliant one, and adds to the thrill of it all as well.
While the majority of the movie is a fun thriller, there is one aspect that really brought it down for me. Often Julia is surrounded by people speaking Romanian, which visibly frustrates her, and that bleeds into causing viewers to be annoyed. To not know what is being spoken makes for some confusion — although it does feel like the intent.
Director Chloe Okuno and the rest of the behind the scenes team creates a lot of chilling moments with the right lighting, score, and cinematography. The final shot is absolutely perfect, and it a very fitting end. Watcher may not be perfect, but if you are a fan of thrillers, even if they are predictable, I highly recommend it.
Read more Sundance Film Festival coverage.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
About Watcher
Julia joins her husband when he relocates to his family’s native Romania for a new job. Having recently abandoned her acting career, she finds herself frequently alone and unoccupied. One night, people-watching from her picture window, she spots a vague figure in an adjacent building, who seems to be looking back at her.
Soon after, while alone at a local movie theater, Julia’s sense of being watched intensifies, and she becomes certain she’s being followed — could it be the same unknown neighbor? Meanwhile, a serial killer known as The Spider stalks the city.
Watcher played at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.