A young woman ( Maika Monroe) is stalked by a mysterious neighbor( Burn Gorman) in Watcher. A young woman in a foreign megacity fears that a creepy neighbor is stalking her. Watcher is a dark and atmospheric suspenser steeped in query. The promoter succumbs to paranoia in her insulation. Her hubby is always at work. She's stuck to her own bias in a strange and strange place. Does the shadowy figure at the window know her every move? Are those steps behind her? The narrative uses fear as a dagger that sluggishly twists. The watcher will have you hooked until a hugely disappointing climax. It devolves to pungency after a superb original set-up.
Julia( Maika Monroe) moves to Bucharest, Romania, with her hubby, Francis( Karl Glusman). He returns to his home country after getting a creation. They settle into a commodious apartment in an old structure. Julia does not know the language. She tries to learn while home alone during the day. Julia notices that a man( Burn Gorman) who lives across the road is always looking at her window. Meanwhile, the megacity is formerly tense due to a series of unsolved murders. Four women have been severely killed in a ghastly manner.
Julia continues to be unnerved by the neighbor's constant watching. She's stupefied when he starts to follow her. Francis tries to help her resolve the situation. Julia feels he does not believe her. Julia's apprehension grows as she investigates her perceived snooper further. Francis offers a different standpoint. She's letting her imagination run wild. Julia prodigies if she's being illogical. Could she be jumping to conclusions? Or is she in the crosshairs of a minatory figure?
Chloe Okuno's point Film Debut
Writer/ director Chloe Okuno channels Hitchcock in her point film debut. utmost of the action takes place in the apartment. Julia struggles with her loneliness. The man across the road becomes a portentous presence. Every knock at the door makes her jump. Her incapability to communicate effectively increases the pressure. Okuno makes great use of murk, light, and subtle noises. You can smell the dread structure as the story progresses.
Monroe carries the film with her performance. Everything is seen from Julia's point of view. The character tries to make the stylish of an uncomfortable situation. She's in Bucharest to support her hubby's career but becomes the odd woman out with his workers. Several scenes have no dialogue. Julia's consummation that commodity is wrong happens quietly. Monroe's responses are critical to the rising action. This is especially important when Julia decides to turn the tables on the mysterious figure.
Emmy- nominated musician Nathan Halpern( The Rider, Swallow) deserves sizable credit for establishing a suspenseful mood. His score is a vital element of Julia's emotional descent. Halpern's notes loiter as her anxiety increases. The music also picks up speed as the alternate act takes shape. Julia's resoluteness is accompanied by a conspicuous change in tempo. Halpern adds pressure at crucial moments.
Watcher has a deflating conclusion. The brilliance of the first two acts fizzles out. Okuno loses creative juice at the worst possible moment. It's not enough to tank the entire film but comes darn close. I had high prospects and was let down.
Watcher is a product of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures, AGC Studios, and Lost City. It'll have a June 3rd theatrical release from IFC Midnight and Shudder.