The Watcher
MCA/Universal Pictures | Release Date: September 8, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
22
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
0
Mixed:
10
Negative:
19
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
50
TNT RoughCutJ. Rentilly
What distinguishes The Watcher from all the films it consciously or unconsciously emulates is the intermittently witty, offbeat writing of debuting screenwriter David Elliot. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The actors cannot be faulted. They bring more to the story than it really deserves. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
This thriller largely succeeds in putting quotation marks around its use of genre conventions, mixing subtlety and overkill to create a pensive mood that transcends the plot. Read full review
50
USA TodayAndy Seiler
It's still the same sick story. Even the small touches seem stale. Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Has its compelling moments, and its playfully inventive ones, too. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comBrian Tallerico
There are so many themes that could be unpacked through the details of the true story of The Watcher, but Murphy and his team don’t trust the facts, adding more and more ridiculous twists with every episode, until the whole thing collapses under any suspension of disbelief. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Reeves is a stiff dancer and he delivers his lines in a full leather jacket monotone. Read full review
41
Mr. ShowbizCody Clark
The satisfaction of watching it essentially boils down to seeing whether or not Reeves can pull it off. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
If Reeves weren't onboard this picture would have gone straight to video. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Leaves me wanting to watch Tomei and company in something more worthy of their abilities. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Sluggish and preposterous, full of violence and cliches. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Isn't even worth a glance. Read full review
30
Dallas ObserverGregory Weinkauf
Once the terror ends and the credits roll, we finally get to the best part: a merciful escape. Read full review
25
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
It's lively but fails to disguise the fact that his (Charbanic) script is a dud and his career in videos has taught him little about the art of narrative storytelling. Read full review
25
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The picture's real interest lies in detailing the villain's sadistic crimes, though, and this is rarely fun or edifying to watch. Read full review
25
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
A story about unmotivated characters trapped in an ill-conceived plot. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
A hodgepodge of half-baked visual styles can't disguise the fact that this dismal thriller is all situation and no story. Read full review
25
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
The movie is paint-by-numbers with several numbers skipped. Read full review
25
New York PostJonathan Foreman
A crass, mechanical attempt at a thriller that should have gone straight to video. Read full review
20
SalonMary Elizabeth Williams
It stinks pretty bad, but not so bad you'd go out of your way to avoid it. Read full review
20
L.A. WeeklyF. X. Feeney
Fails to fulfill.
20
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
Sidesteps any juicy subtext in favor of routine chase-movie thrills. Read full review
20
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Neither acutely suspenseful nor particularly thrilling but instead mainly numbing. Read full review
20
VarietyJoe Leydon
Emerges as a formulaic thriller that plays more like direct-to-video fare than a megaplex-worthy feature. Read full review
15
TNT RoughCutAndy Klein
An uninspired, standard-issue mimeo whose only distinguishing feature is a reversal in its casting. Read full review
10
Film.comRobert Horton
A dismal new serial-killer thing. Read full review
10
Washington PostDesson Thomson
It's something no one should watch. Read full review
10
The New York TimesDana Stevens
By the end of The Watcher you'll need your own prescription. Read full review
0
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
A shockingly, unbelievably bad movie. Read full review
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