Watcher 2022, Grimy Horror Led Maika Monroe

How can you pass up Maika Monroe? The Watcher movie cast leads with Monroe and she is certainly a heavy hitter for fans of grimy horror and thriller titles like It Follows, The Guest, and Villains. Her ability to handle lead roles in an understated way is something I like about her on-screen presence. And here in Watcher 2022, that presence comes out in spades. In this thriller with a serial killer, Monroe plays Julia. She is the wife of an up-and-comer who was recently offered a progressive job opportunity. Together they move from their native America to Bucharest, a city where Julia will have no friends and be barely able to order a coffee as she speaks very little Romanian.

Blindly optimistic about their new life, Julia begins to learn the basics and gets to know her surroundings, and potters around in their lavish apartment. Driven by mood, atmosphere, and emptiness, the Watcher movie sets a pace that might not be thrilling but is filled with anxiety. It opts to graze the boards of a life that Julia tries to make the most of. Instead of discovering a new life together, she taps into just how much is missing from her marriage in like-minded support. The language barrier only adds fuel to an already difficult situation and Julia is often left alone for long periods. It’s in this empty space, that Julia discovers someone is watching her.

Watcher Movie Trailer

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Titanically generic, Watcher never claims the mystery required to make this title something special. Films like Rear Window, Apartment, The Tenant, and others have covered this storyline before. It seems there are a lot of people who like to just watch. However, that doesn’t mean this version isn’t entertaining in its own right. The narrative tightens its grip on the claustrophobic open space Julia has to deal with. And then it aligns her spiraling paranoia with her husband’s inability to clue her into what’s happening around her. Francis (Karl Glusman) leaves out details when asked to translate the local news one night. Fails to include her in conversations with his new friends and becomes increasingly frustrated with her isolated boredom.

But Julia’s spider senses are tingling. Even more so after the two stumble across a crime scene on their way home and discover a neighbor is the victim of a serial killer in the area. Appropriately coined “The Spider” his killing spree consists of murdering women by decapitation. What seems like a creepy coincidence quickly turns to dread when Julia is convinced the man described on the news lives in the apartment across the street.

Nothing is amazing about Watcher. The ending of the film is almost exactly as you would expect. But what the film by director Chloe Okuno lacks in originality, it certainly makes up for in being taut, solid, and dripping in what you want from a psychological thriller.

Watcher 2022 Where to Watch

The Watcher was released on the Shudder platform in 2022. The psychological thriller movie is available as a rental or as a digital download. The Watcher movie is available to stream on Apple TV in the USA as well as Shudder and AMC+ but unfortunately not streaming free in Australia.

Watcher movie Where To Watch: