"Watcher" Review: The Paranoia of an Isolated Woman

Release Date: June 3, 2022

Platform: Shudder

Not even able to speak the native language, Julia (Maika Monroe) finds herself a bit isolated after moving to Bucharest with her husband, Francis (Karl Glusman), when he lands a new job. As news spreads of a woman-targeting serial killer in the area, Julia grows suspicious that she is being watched by a man in a neighboring building. When the police and her husband learn of her worries, the circumstantial evidence leaves doubt that the neighbor, Daniel (Burn Gorman), means any harm. Taking it upon herself to learn more about him, Julia is accused of stalking Daniel, which drives a wedge between her and Francis. She is sure her frequent encounters with Daniel are not mere coincidental and a final confrontation with him reveals all. Did her paranoia reign supreme or was she the only one who saw the truth across the street?

This psychological thriller is carried by two very solid elements: its focused narrative and its tension building. Julia's world is mostly created within the confines of her apartment building and, thus, her interactions with her world are limited; a point that is further exasperated by her language barrier. Even so, there were a number of subplots that the story could have explored, like the dissension between Julia and Francis, her life before Bucharest, or the tribulations of her neighbor Irina (Madalina Anea). When Irina's ex-boyfriend shows up banging on her door, the movie could have easily had Julia explore more about Irina through this ex. Instead, the script lightly brushes against its ancillary focuses and quickly ties them back into Julia's paranoia by having her enlist the ex into scaring Daniel.

Keeping the plot tied tightly around its main theme helps greatly in how the movie builds tension. There are a few select moments in which Julia directly perceives Daniel's threat, with the first at the theater and the latter on the train being the pinnacle of not only capturing Julia's experiences, but also lending credence to her accusations. These are tense, awkward, and kept very grounded in the sense that the stress is not taken to an extreme point of being overly cinematic and pulling you out of the scene. There is a really steady build of tension that Monroe and Gorman create so well in their interactions, much of which rides on the subtleness of Gorman's body language. Since these moments are far and few between, the threads between these scenes become pinnacle to maintaining the focus on Julia's navigating of her situation and not traveling down the subplot rabbit holes.

Chloe Okuna's direction keeps very little secretive about the underlying themes of the movie: misogyny, loneliness and isolation, and the disregard for women's experiences. The narrative and dialogue paint an easy to see picture of the movie's commentary on women, but the look of the movie is what catapults the feelings of isolation and loneliness. Starting from Francis and Julia's oversized apartment with large ceilings, windows, and empty space and then traveling to the building's hallways and staircase that are frequently shot from a distanced-perspective, a lot of Julia's world is empty. This is fitting of her life circumstances following her departure from acting and having no new hobbies/interests with which to fill her time in Bucharest. Throughout the film she is constantly thrust back into that isolation by the people she encounters, beginning with her husband's lack of concern about her claims and him constantly working and ending with the constant use of Romanian from those around her.

Circling back to Julia's apartment comes the highlight of visual symbolism: the large set of windows from which Daniel is given ample opportunity to peer through. These were treated as a second pair of eyes, both for Daniel and for the audience. There was never an attempt at curtains or blinds to simply deter the voyeur from across the street, rather, they were constantly left open for anyone to peer into the inner machinations of Julia's day-to-day life. Perhaps a reflection on the lack of concern shared by the men around her or a representation of the disregard of her right to privacy and security, the windows remain a visual focal point of the film.

At the same time as the movie elicits its commentary through its imagery, it does the same for challenging Julia's reliability. Was there the impression of a face in the plastic bag? The answer is eventually implied, but as the movie builds to its last act climax, there are many instances of Julia's suspicions seemingly becoming as much myth as reality. She is positioned to be questioned, not just by her fellow characters (other than Irina), but also by the audience who witnesses her failing to extrapolate anything from her own stalking behavior. Also, the irony of Maika Monroe's breakthrough role coming in a film called "It Follows" never escaped me. We see Daniel in the same places as her, we see his silhouette in the window, but as far as actually doing anything harmful towards her, that threat is only perceived by Julia. Audiences are put in the same position as the supporting characters of deciding whether her perceptions are misinterpreted from the mental stress of her new place in life.

Monroe carries her scenes very well and is essential for the emotional frame of the "thriller" aspect. She is a flawed character, which makes her interesting, but her persona is only explored within the confines of the present. We learn bits about her past and what she has left behind, but those obstacles are never peeled back and the character study is left off the table. To the benefit of capturing Julia solely as the catalyst for tension and anxiety, sure, that works really well. As a figure for its more socially-fueled themes, this character writing provides only slightly more than the silhouette of a woman who can effectively capture those deeper threads. There is a development, though, that is very subtle until her paranoia hits its final act crescendo after fighting with Francis and heading for the train. Julia views the entire narrative with herself at the center, which is exactly how the audience sees it. However, her self-centered nature left others vulnerable to the threat she faced as it becomes clear she was not an only target.

Even with some dissonance between the main character and the film's underlying themes, "Watcher" was an intriguing watch. It lived and died on its pledge as a psychological thriller and delivered no more, no less. Unlike a previous Shudder original "Lucky," which carried similar social commentaries, this film succeeds in not having to spell out its sociopolitical agenda and finds itself more akin to the likes of "Get Out". The message is not lost in the story, but the story is given precedence and that allows for a more natural film experience. There story benefits from a clear ending that provides all the necessary answers, though, does have to push past a common trope to round out Julia's arc. This is a well-focused movie that will bring a few stomach knots, carry a lot of questions, and provide a lot of answers, and it is hard to find to fault in that.

---

RATING: 🪟 🪟 🪟 🪟 / 5

---

If you enjoyed this content, please follow Geeky Therapy on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with all posts and reviews.

---