Watcher was a slow burn. More of a psychological thriller than horror movie, the weight of the story relied on if you could hold on to believing the protagonist’s concerns about her safety in a strange land. The narrative played with the insecurities that have come with believing survivors, and the story did a good job of portraying a love interest who was both fed up with the protagonist’s incessant worrying about her safety and invested in trying to maintain her safety.
In the end, the only person who believed the protagonist came to the rescue, and, although somewhat cheesy and hard to believe, the final scene was satisfying. My one ask for the movie was for an epilogue. I would have loved to find out what happened in the end … could the protagonist forgive her lover, or anyone for that matter, for not believing her?
For raising these issues and telling a solid, thrilling story, Watcher was good for a night in with a bowl of popcorn.
Okuno, Chloe. Watcher, IFC Midnight Shudder (US), Universal Pictures, Focus Features (International), 2022.
The Devil's Muse 