358 reviews
- ruthiempowell
- Sep 6, 2024
- Permalink
I didn't really know much about "Watcher" before I started watching it. In truth there's not all that much to know to be honest:
A couple moves to Romania. Husband works while wife sits around waiting for him to come home. Wife believes that somebody is stalking her and husband thinks she is going crazy.
It sounds ridiculously simple because it is. We've seen it before - HOWEVER - Okuno clearly set out to make a brilliantly executed suspense flick and did just that.
The movie is contained and everything in it is there for a reason. Cinematography and especially the sound design is incredibly well done and makes the simplest thing like shopping for groceries an unnerving experience.
And finally the biggest praise has to go to Monroe. She has come a long way from "It Follows" and here she brings this simple movie to life with outstanding (and very believable) acting that successfully makes you question her sanity. Hopefully she'll bless us with her talent in many more (horror) movies to come.
Now obviously "Watcher" isn't the perfect movie even though everything is done so well. The fact is that we've seen it all before - countless times - and Okuno plays it extremely safe here by taking no chances whatsoever. This makes for an underwhelming movie experience as a whole and will no doubt bore some viewers.
Do I recommend "Watcher"? If you love suspense - YES. To witness Monroe's brilliant performance - YES. If you're looking for a great movie - NAH, go find something else.
A couple moves to Romania. Husband works while wife sits around waiting for him to come home. Wife believes that somebody is stalking her and husband thinks she is going crazy.
It sounds ridiculously simple because it is. We've seen it before - HOWEVER - Okuno clearly set out to make a brilliantly executed suspense flick and did just that.
The movie is contained and everything in it is there for a reason. Cinematography and especially the sound design is incredibly well done and makes the simplest thing like shopping for groceries an unnerving experience.
And finally the biggest praise has to go to Monroe. She has come a long way from "It Follows" and here she brings this simple movie to life with outstanding (and very believable) acting that successfully makes you question her sanity. Hopefully she'll bless us with her talent in many more (horror) movies to come.
Now obviously "Watcher" isn't the perfect movie even though everything is done so well. The fact is that we've seen it all before - countless times - and Okuno plays it extremely safe here by taking no chances whatsoever. This makes for an underwhelming movie experience as a whole and will no doubt bore some viewers.
Do I recommend "Watcher"? If you love suspense - YES. To witness Monroe's brilliant performance - YES. If you're looking for a great movie - NAH, go find something else.
Great visuals. They did a good job of filming every scene to make everything look super creepy. Acting is mostly good, but I absolutely hated the husband's character. I get that he had to be that way to keep the story going, but man it's frustrating.
Wow, just wow. I had no expectations about Watcher, but it turned out to be really good.
Like seriously, everything worked so well up until the ending, which felt somewhat disappointing and didn't make much sense. It wasn't the worst thing they could've done though, so thanks for that.
Actual care was put into the film and it shows. All the elements they have are nothing new, really, but these blend quite well. The unfamiliar environment, the language barrier, the fear, and the feeling of being misunderstood and left alone by the careless close ones. Great acting, great atmosphere, great music. Just overall a solid thriller that tried to step away from cliches as much as possible.
I can agree that the pacing was relatively slow, but it only helped absorb the atmosphere of what was happening.
A split 7.5/10 could've been an 8.5/10 if not for the ending that felt a little too much, although I get the message.
I am looking forward to new movies from the director.
Like seriously, everything worked so well up until the ending, which felt somewhat disappointing and didn't make much sense. It wasn't the worst thing they could've done though, so thanks for that.
Actual care was put into the film and it shows. All the elements they have are nothing new, really, but these blend quite well. The unfamiliar environment, the language barrier, the fear, and the feeling of being misunderstood and left alone by the careless close ones. Great acting, great atmosphere, great music. Just overall a solid thriller that tried to step away from cliches as much as possible.
I can agree that the pacing was relatively slow, but it only helped absorb the atmosphere of what was happening.
A split 7.5/10 could've been an 8.5/10 if not for the ending that felt a little too much, although I get the message.
I am looking forward to new movies from the director.
Having enjoyed Chloe Okuno's segment in V/H/S 94 to some extent, I was exciting for her feature debut. Watcher is a film that reminds you of some of Hitchcock's works, be it in building a slow-burn suspense drama set in a mysteriously new atmosphere and in the way the lead character is established. Chloe also extracts an excellent performance from Maika Monroe who portrays the "fish out of water" protagonist. The best thing about her portrayal is that she manages to induce the same levels of anxiety in audiences too. She effortlessly makes you step into her shoes - the confusion she feels by not fully grasping the local language, that feeling of loneliness when you're in a new place spending days mostly by yourself, the burgeoning dread of having a stalker - all conveyed remarkably well.
The script doesn't have any major twists or surprises to offer, but it keeps you invested in whatever Julia is up to. The only trope I didn't enjoy is the indifferent husband, which gets repeated to terrible effect here. I truly enjoyed the film's aesthetics - be it the use of space, color grading, choice of camera angles, and sparse lighting. Cinematographer Benjamin Kirk Nielsen uses extended shots to convey a sense of paranoia. I'm pretty stoked for anything Chloe Okuno does next!
The script doesn't have any major twists or surprises to offer, but it keeps you invested in whatever Julia is up to. The only trope I didn't enjoy is the indifferent husband, which gets repeated to terrible effect here. I truly enjoyed the film's aesthetics - be it the use of space, color grading, choice of camera angles, and sparse lighting. Cinematographer Benjamin Kirk Nielsen uses extended shots to convey a sense of paranoia. I'm pretty stoked for anything Chloe Okuno does next!
- arungeorge13
- Sep 2, 2022
- Permalink
This was a fantastic paranoia thriller. Maika Moore is fantastic as the lead actress and the villian was also perfectly cast, he was quite menacing. The story here is very well done, albeit derivitive and at times you must suspend some levels of your disbelief, but it provides just enough twists and turns throughout to keep it from getting stale. With that said, the movie can also be kind of slow in parts, but I feel like it was a slow burn done right. Hitchcock would be proud of this film. The ending does it right, however I would've enjoyed an extra five minutes just to know what ended up with these characters, but I think I got the jist of it, so I digress. If you're looking for a good paranoia horror/thriller, this would be a great choice and you could definitely do worse. I recommend to people who enjoy a go slow burn that leads up to creepy conclusion. 3.5 creepy creepertons out of.
- nicolasroop
- Jun 5, 2022
- Permalink
"Watcher" follows Julia, an American who moves to Bucharest with her husband, Francis. While Francis is fluent in the language--his mother is Romanian--Julia is not, and struggles with the language barrier. Even worse, she also finds herself being watched by a man in the adjacent apartment building, and comes to believe that not only is he stalking her, but that he is a serial killer.
It goes without saying that "Watcher" is playing with a familiar concept--this is a premise we have seen in a large number of films, most famously in Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but "Watcher" also pays respects to Roman Polanski's "apartment" films, most notably (and effectively) "The Tenant" (the other two being "Rosemary' Baby" and "Repulsion"). What makes it stand out, however, is that it is well-acted, visually elegant, and at times throttling in its suspense. There are a number of scenes in this film that (no pun intended) grab you by the throat.
"Watcher" is the breed of film that toes the line regarding whether or not the fears and paranoias of the protagonist are legitimate, or the product of something else, but director Chloe Okuno telegraphs it intelligently by positioning the audience in tandem with Julia--as we watch her sink into her isolation, we are isolated alongside her--and it is because of this that her fears play out as believable, despite her husband's skepticism. The writing here is both subtle and smart, and there are a few key moments that are as dislocating to the viewer as they are to the protagonist; the screenplay is multi-pronged in a way that makes the audience question not what they are seeing, but rather, what it is indicative of. Julia's disconnect from the language only helps to reinforce a sense of suffocation, and the gloomy, rain-soaked Art Deco architecture of the city only amplifies the sense of unease.
Of course, none of this would work without a believable lead, and Maika Monroe plays this character very effectively. Burn Gorman is also extremely effective as the mysterious creep across the way. The film's finale, though tense, is still fairly downbeat (which is the status quo in this film), but it offers enough grand guignol to be memorable and shocking. In the end, while "Watcher" is not necessarily revelatory, it is a well-crafted, nervy take on a well-worn concept. There are some standout moments in this film that make it worth watching for any genre fan. 7/10.
It goes without saying that "Watcher" is playing with a familiar concept--this is a premise we have seen in a large number of films, most famously in Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but "Watcher" also pays respects to Roman Polanski's "apartment" films, most notably (and effectively) "The Tenant" (the other two being "Rosemary' Baby" and "Repulsion"). What makes it stand out, however, is that it is well-acted, visually elegant, and at times throttling in its suspense. There are a number of scenes in this film that (no pun intended) grab you by the throat.
"Watcher" is the breed of film that toes the line regarding whether or not the fears and paranoias of the protagonist are legitimate, or the product of something else, but director Chloe Okuno telegraphs it intelligently by positioning the audience in tandem with Julia--as we watch her sink into her isolation, we are isolated alongside her--and it is because of this that her fears play out as believable, despite her husband's skepticism. The writing here is both subtle and smart, and there are a few key moments that are as dislocating to the viewer as they are to the protagonist; the screenplay is multi-pronged in a way that makes the audience question not what they are seeing, but rather, what it is indicative of. Julia's disconnect from the language only helps to reinforce a sense of suffocation, and the gloomy, rain-soaked Art Deco architecture of the city only amplifies the sense of unease.
Of course, none of this would work without a believable lead, and Maika Monroe plays this character very effectively. Burn Gorman is also extremely effective as the mysterious creep across the way. The film's finale, though tense, is still fairly downbeat (which is the status quo in this film), but it offers enough grand guignol to be memorable and shocking. In the end, while "Watcher" is not necessarily revelatory, it is a well-crafted, nervy take on a well-worn concept. There are some standout moments in this film that make it worth watching for any genre fan. 7/10.
- drownsoda90
- Jun 2, 2022
- Permalink
American Julia follows her Romanian husband Francis back to his home country of Romania, she's quickly aware that a neighbour is watching her, and following her, Francis believes she's imagining things.
This is a quality thriller, it has an almost vintage feel about it, it's a straight up story of a woman being stalked by a sinister being.
It's not a complex story, but Julia's conflict is what's interesting, is she simply paranoid, is she unfairly maligning the guy living opposite?
I loved the ending, that was such a good, dramatic scene. I know what I'd have said to Francis.
Maika Monroe is excellent as Julia, you truly get the sense of the character's loneliness and total frustration.
Burn Gorman is very good as The Watcher, he plays these creepy, sinister parts so well.
This film held my attention from start to finish.
9/10.
This is a quality thriller, it has an almost vintage feel about it, it's a straight up story of a woman being stalked by a sinister being.
It's not a complex story, but Julia's conflict is what's interesting, is she simply paranoid, is she unfairly maligning the guy living opposite?
I loved the ending, that was such a good, dramatic scene. I know what I'd have said to Francis.
Maika Monroe is excellent as Julia, you truly get the sense of the character's loneliness and total frustration.
Burn Gorman is very good as The Watcher, he plays these creepy, sinister parts so well.
This film held my attention from start to finish.
9/10.
- Sleepin_Dragon
- Jun 20, 2023
- Permalink
I found this thriller pretty enjoyable. The acting was phenomenal, particulacy from Maika, our lead. Some of these sequences were so anxiety-inducing, even when our lead is just walking down the street I couldn't help but tense up.
My only main disappointment was the ending. While it was building towards a satisfying conclusion, it just ends abruptly. I wanted more from it. But maybe that just shows how well everything was before hand. Also some awkward dialogue but that's just me nitpicking, it's not that big of a deal.
Overall, while I don't think I'll just check this one out again, I had a good time with it and I'm excited to see what else the director while be making next!
My only main disappointment was the ending. While it was building towards a satisfying conclusion, it just ends abruptly. I wanted more from it. But maybe that just shows how well everything was before hand. Also some awkward dialogue but that's just me nitpicking, it's not that big of a deal.
Overall, while I don't think I'll just check this one out again, I had a good time with it and I'm excited to see what else the director while be making next!
- spiritgrave
- Jan 21, 2022
- Permalink
In addition to other types of work, I teach self-defense to women. I don't know what world Julia thinks she's living in, but she behaves as if it's the world she thinks it should be rather than the world that it actually is. (a) In the grocery store, she isolates herself in a store room instead of going toward other people. (b) Instead of being patient and waiting for a taxi, she goes underground to a dark, isolated subway platform. (c) She lingers alone near the apartment of the person who she believes is stalking her. (d) She leaves her apartment to go to another without locking her own door first. There are others...People have to live in the world that is, not the world that "should be".
- easierlifeall
- Jun 22, 2022
- Permalink
My mind is kind of boggled at the people calling this film slow or saying that it's not scary. Sure this film isn't supernatural horror but as far as real life situations go this one is pretty terrifying. I also did not find this film slow at all. It expertly builds the tension (and your anxiety) and successfully puts you in the mindset of the main character. She spends her days completely alone in a new country and doesn't speak the language. Watching this you can feel her loneliness, isolation, and downward spiral that leaves us questioning what's real and what isn't. This film is also stylish and has a very traditional Hitchcock feel to it that makes it all the better. This is all complemented by incredible performances all around leading to an extremely effective psychological thriller.
- sgriff22555
- Jun 4, 2022
- Permalink
What would you do, some blokes looking out at you, in a place that you've just moved, leaves you a bit more than bemused, seems to follow you around, when you're wandering in town, you're keen not to lose your head, though it's making you see red.
Julia becomes increasingly concerned about the attention she's receiving from a mysterious neighbour, although her pleas go unheard by both the local constabulary and her partner, leaving her increasingly isolated and psychologically challenged.
Not the most original thriller you've encountered but well made and performed and Maika Monroe may well be an actor going places.
Julia becomes increasingly concerned about the attention she's receiving from a mysterious neighbour, although her pleas go unheard by both the local constabulary and her partner, leaving her increasingly isolated and psychologically challenged.
Not the most original thriller you've encountered but well made and performed and Maika Monroe may well be an actor going places.
Above average thriller about people looking out of windows. I wonder where I've seen that before? Of course the entire premise would fail if they'd only buy some curtains like normal people but they don't. Maika Monroe plays the damsel in distress but her character is a bit of a misery guts and spends most of the movie scowling, sulking or frowning. Burn Gorman is perfectly creepy. The movie itself is low key and by the numbers as if it was written and directed according to a check list but it's effective for all that. There's quite a lot of Romanian language so if you watch without subtitles you miss some dialogue but I'm not sure if you miss anything important.
- tristinadupree
- Mar 14, 2023
- Permalink
I dug it. Yes, it is a slower pace by conventional standards, but I was never bored. I have no problem with, and often times enjoy "slow burn" horror films. If I can connect to a character and the tone suits the pace (which I feel this movie accomplished) I can be patient and remain engaged. It's also possible that I am biased towards Maika Monroe, exclusively because of my love of "It Follows."
On a technical level, I have no complaints. The photography and acting were solid. The sense of isolation amongst humanity, obviously driven by a language barrier/fish-out-of water aspect was effective and it accelerated my connection to the protagonist. What would you do alone in an apartment, in an unfamiliar country where you don't speak the language, and the unidentified person across the alley is staring at you every night?
What I thoroughly enjoyed about the movie is the potential for subtext. It made me consider what it would be like to be misunderstood and thought of as delusional; hysterical and foolish. I have zero clue if the filmmaker had intentions to convey a deeper meaning than, "how can I make a 'Hitchcockian thriller?'". And I love that. I love contemporary horror that can elicit thoughts of themes and messages, rather than hit me in the face with blatant, directed symbolism and commentary.
7/10.
On a technical level, I have no complaints. The photography and acting were solid. The sense of isolation amongst humanity, obviously driven by a language barrier/fish-out-of water aspect was effective and it accelerated my connection to the protagonist. What would you do alone in an apartment, in an unfamiliar country where you don't speak the language, and the unidentified person across the alley is staring at you every night?
What I thoroughly enjoyed about the movie is the potential for subtext. It made me consider what it would be like to be misunderstood and thought of as delusional; hysterical and foolish. I have zero clue if the filmmaker had intentions to convey a deeper meaning than, "how can I make a 'Hitchcockian thriller?'". And I love that. I love contemporary horror that can elicit thoughts of themes and messages, rather than hit me in the face with blatant, directed symbolism and commentary.
7/10.
- parasolspetticoats
- Sep 1, 2022
- Permalink
I have to admit that I watched this alone in my room after dark, blinds are broken so the window perfectly exposed. There are some issues with the movie, like they had curtains they could've closed. But that wouldn't have changed the fact that she was being watched. She could have made less ambitious decisions, but if she played everything "smart" then we wouldn't have a movie to review. Great visuals, does a great job keeping the viewer anxious and paranoid. It's probably nothing you haven't seen before, but it's still got enough creep factor to deserve a watch. Definitely not something I'd watch again, but it was well done.
- RinaBWrites
- Oct 14, 2022
- Permalink
This movie doesn't want you to get your hopes too high - it is what it is, a nice thriller/horror that is a bit slow, but not boring. Has that style of old Dario Argento movies, which I love. It is better than most of new films, and has that old school suspense style, which is refreshing in the sea of new movies that are trying too hard to let you know they are "smart".
If you want to see something new, and there are not a lot of good options, Watcher is a good choice to... watch, for a quiet summer night.
If you want to see something new, and there are not a lot of good options, Watcher is a good choice to... watch, for a quiet summer night.
- PANDIAN120621
- Jun 10, 2024
- Permalink
By merit of concept alone, there really isn't anything new here. It's the writing and character work that causes Watcher to soar above standard thriller genre fare.
First-rate performances are given by the entire cast. They all embody their characters with humanity and make them instantly unique and often sympathetic.
Julia is a woman who has moved with her husband to a country where she does not know the language and has no personal connections. Her sense of loneliness is made palpable very early on and it makes the unease she feels extremely understandable as she becomes more and more convinced that she has a stalker.
This screenplay is astoundingly good. Each scene is written so carefully so as to ensure that both doubt and faith in Julia's perspective is built to equal degrees. The lack of clarity starts to drive a wedge through her marriage, and it's heartbreaking to watch. The writing makes for a thrilling, engaging watch, even in the slow-paced scenes.
I always like a good thriller, and I always LOVE a good thriller that also has smart writing and emotionally resonant character work.
This is one of those thrillers. It's not flashy. It's purely psychological, and I found it absolutely riveting from start to finish.
First-rate performances are given by the entire cast. They all embody their characters with humanity and make them instantly unique and often sympathetic.
Julia is a woman who has moved with her husband to a country where she does not know the language and has no personal connections. Her sense of loneliness is made palpable very early on and it makes the unease she feels extremely understandable as she becomes more and more convinced that she has a stalker.
This screenplay is astoundingly good. Each scene is written so carefully so as to ensure that both doubt and faith in Julia's perspective is built to equal degrees. The lack of clarity starts to drive a wedge through her marriage, and it's heartbreaking to watch. The writing makes for a thrilling, engaging watch, even in the slow-paced scenes.
I always like a good thriller, and I always LOVE a good thriller that also has smart writing and emotionally resonant character work.
This is one of those thrillers. It's not flashy. It's purely psychological, and I found it absolutely riveting from start to finish.
- benjaminskylerhill
- Jun 2, 2022
- Permalink
- lynseylinzlu
- Feb 18, 2023
- Permalink
5/10 - if you are able to enjoy a slow (and I mean slowwwww) burn then Watcher may be for you; otherwise, you may find yourself straining to not be bored for the 90 minute run time (all for a conclusion that isn't enough of a payoff to make it all worthwhile)
- JoBloTheMovieCritic
- Jun 15, 2022
- Permalink
But Bucharest plays a huge part in the atmosphere of an American stranger trying to fit into a foreign city besieged by a decapitating serial killer.
Is she just misreading the culturally-peculiar nature of her neighbors? Or is one of them really chopping the heads off local ladies?
The movie plays up her paranoia very slowly - like zooming in on that bag on the subway. Her overworked husband doesn't help, leaving her alone to dwell in isolation or to wander the streets barely knowing the language.
The movie is not revolutionary but it is decent. I found it entertaining.
Burn Gorman plays ambiguous so well.
Is she just misreading the culturally-peculiar nature of her neighbors? Or is one of them really chopping the heads off local ladies?
The movie plays up her paranoia very slowly - like zooming in on that bag on the subway. Her overworked husband doesn't help, leaving her alone to dwell in isolation or to wander the streets barely knowing the language.
The movie is not revolutionary but it is decent. I found it entertaining.
Burn Gorman plays ambiguous so well.
- Neptune165
- Aug 2, 2022
- Permalink