Ever had that feeling that somebody is watching you? Well in writer/director Chloe Okuno’s (V/H/S/94’s “Storm Drain”) feature-length debut, that feeling is what essentially powers this contained Hitchcockian suspenseful horror/thriller.
In life, there are many things that get under our skin, but one of the most persistently prickly, is that feeling that we are being watched, followed or stalked. It is a near-universal fear among all of us, and this film’s effectiveness lies in its capturing of that primal unease, as it evokes that very uncomfortable feeling and presents it to us in a slow and steady story, which addresses whether such fears are simply in our heads or are very much a shuddering reality.
The story sees American couple Julia (It Follows’ Maika Monroe) and Francis (The Neon Demon’s Karl Glusman) relocate to Bucharest, moving into a new apartment, as Francis pursues his career. However, one rainy night, Julia notices that a figure at an apartment window across from them is seemingly staring at her, and from there on in events begin to escalate, as she believes she is being followed by this mysterious onlooker, while some horrendous crimes are also occurring in the local area.
Watcher is a deliberately slow burn affair, with the horror methodically breathing out across the taut and yet barely over 90-minute running time. Okuno truly takes her time in getting into not only the headspace of her protagonist but the feelings that so many of us, in general, have felt. People who find themselves supporting a partner on a professional venture in a place and/or world unbeknownst to them, and deal with that fear of the new that comes with this change of scenery. This film taps into that undeniable fear of the unknown but also highlights the darkness of man, as this horror/thriller becomes a Rear Window-esque game of “is this really happening?”
A gaslighting tour de force, Watcher is a very human and very contained story of patient and horrifying unease, which builds and builds towards a climax that pays off in the most simple but effective fashion possible. Taking in the frustrating experience of a person – or more specifically a woman – who is largely dismissed when relaying her unnerving experiences. Watcher is a film that paints an imposing picture of a deadly voyeuristic force within a community going about its business. A great almost predatory darkness freely running amok. And it is a notion that is uncomfortably all too real.
Monroe is brilliant as the seemingly unravelling yet assured Julia, who is convinced that the figure she sees in that apartment window is more than just a random neighbour. While Burn Gorman offers very unsettling support here, and Glusman plays the supportive-to-a-point partner rather realistically.
Watcher is a chamber piece horror story that some may be expecting more from, and undoubtedly patience is required in getting the most from it, but Watcher’s effectiveness lies in its simplicity and this film reflects on some of the most omnipresent of human worries, with a concentrated quality that makes it an undeniably chilling and relatable affair.
A tense and often uncomfortable viewing experience that just might make you draw the curtains tonight, especially if the lights are on across the street.
WATCHER is in select UK cinemas from November 4th
