Watcher: An Uneasy Thriller

Building tension in a narrative is an artform that some directors can do better than others. For most films, especially thrillers and dramas, building tension in any form is important to keep the audience invested in the events. It is rare that a movie can wring tension out of every technical aspect, from cinematography to the sound mix. Watcher does it exceptionally well, above and beyond most other examples in the genre today.

Watcher follows Julia, (Maika Monroe) an American woman who moves to Bucharest with her husband who just got a new job. While living there, news breaks of a serial killer in the city who is targeting and decapitating young women and she is increasingly unnerved at the sight of a man who is watching her through her window. Julia’s anxiety about being new in the city is exacerbated by the linguistic barrier and her husband’s dismissal of her concerns as an overreaction. The story does not take too many catastrophic deviations from what one would expect watching something in this genre, however formulas do exist for a reason. As long as the formula is followed well and the movie around it is well executed, following a formula can be forgiven.

Watcher is carried by excellent acting performances by the entire cast as well as fantastic direction from Chloe Okuno. One may be surprised to learn that Watcher is Okuno’s first feature, considering how well shot the film is and how well the tension is built over the course of the hour and a half runtime. It is a masterclass in using camera angles, shot length, and editing to build tension beyond just the main plotline’s inherent unease and creepiness. It feels similar to Caroline Kepnes’ You (specifically the book, not the Netflix show) in that everything about even the atmosphere of the narrative is designed to make the person consuming the media feel the same anxiety that the characters in the story.

Anyone who enjoys a solid psychological thriller, even if it does not do a ton of completely different things, should check out Watcher. Despite being sort of formulaic, the movie does still work in a unique way because everything around the narrative elevates it to something great. It is no surprise that this movie was a hot purchase at Sundance after its premiere and is worth a watch for anyone who enjoys the genre. It is best enjoyed in a theater, however those who do not want to make the trip can wait as the horror streaming service Shudder has picked up the home media distribution.

Final Rating: 8.5/10