Watcher

IFC Films | Release Date: June 3, 2022

6.2	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 67 Ratings

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User Reviews

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reporterreporteJun 18, 2022

The film is good. And I think the good films such as this film deserve better box office.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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RMellJun 4, 2022

If it’s not exactly in Hitchcock’s neighborhood, Watcher is in the same zip code. There’s an echo of Rear Window through the gloomy, canyon streets of the Bucharest apartment district at center stage of this film. This time the creepy chillIf it’s not exactly in Hitchcock’s neighborhood, Watcher is in the same zip code. There’s an echo of Rear Window through the gloomy, canyon streets of the Bucharest apartment district at center stage of this film. This time the creepy chill isn’t coming in what we see in a bored protagonist’s voyeurism. It is in what we feel growing in Julia, a bored, vulnerable wife who believes she’s being watched in this stylish thriller. Maika Monroe plays Julia with superb sensitivity, with a face that more eloquently reveals the angst she’s feeling than words can. First-time feature film director Chloe Okuno uses Monroe’s face the way Hitchcock could use faces, as canvas best suited to convey foreboding and dread. Monroe carries this film through its slow but elegant pace, and Okuno seduces us through any predictable turn. Okuno does so with the kinship she makes us feel for her star. This film is all about being watched, and Okuno and Monroe make Julia worth watching. This isn’t a slasher film, though there’s a gruesome glimpse of a violent act near the end. The tension is almost entirely built the way Hitchcock built it, in what we sense is coming, in what we think’s around the corner. There’s a terrific scene Okuno gives us on a subway, a closeup of a plastic grocery bag being carried by a mysterious neighbor. What the hell’s in that bag? It’s a masterful snapshot of the entire movie’s appeal. Again, it's not Hitchcock, so don't go expecting it to reach that high bar. But if you like Hitchcock, there are landmarks you'll appreciate seeing on Julia's journey through the neighborhood.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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RomanianParrotSep 9, 2022

I felt that Watcher was a fantastic movie. As a man, I felt that it was easy to relate to the female protagonist’s sense of doom and unease. This is a good example of “show — don’t tell”. The director did not beat the viewer over the headI felt that Watcher was a fantastic movie. As a man, I felt that it was easy to relate to the female protagonist’s sense of doom and unease. This is a good example of “show — don’t tell”. The director did not beat the viewer over the head with quasi-feminist/anti-patriarchal rhetoric and didn’t rely on any kind of hamfisted symbolism to get a point across. The film was truly subtle and I felt very connected with the characters, even if I can’t relate necessarily to their anxieties. People who may be looking for cheap thrills and action could call this approach “boring” — but I disagree. I was on edge the entire time.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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Badgerryan27Sep 17, 2022

I enjoyed this one. Very suspenseful and it has a great runtime without it outstaying its welcome. Had great thrills throughout and kept you guessing until the end.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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GinaKJun 20, 2022

A perfect ten for fans of Alfred Hitchcock (namely, Psycho) and the best psychological horror. There is no shower scene, but the murder itself is graphic. But that is not the essence of this film, which is really about a woman who triesA perfect ten for fans of Alfred Hitchcock (namely, Psycho) and the best psychological horror. There is no shower scene, but the murder itself is graphic. But that is not the essence of this film, which is really about a woman who tries desperately to convince her husband and her neighbors that she is being stalked. They don’t believe her until they see the tragic result. She tries everything to convince her husband and her neighbors, but no one believes her. The result is terrifying, graphic, and very, very sad.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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Daniel_EndureJun 5, 2022

This is a very slow-paced nail-biter with little going on to ramp up the need for a high budget. What it presents in place of action is tension, and it's executed nearly flawlessly.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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CalvinCrackJun 3, 2022

Excellent work by all involved. I expect big things from the people behind this film. The director Chloe Okuno completely dominates this story. The fact it's a simple premise makes it more impressive that so much tension is mined from it.Excellent work by all involved. I expect big things from the people behind this film. The director Chloe Okuno completely dominates this story. The fact it's a simple premise makes it more impressive that so much tension is mined from it. Chloe is going places. I'd like to give special praise to the cinematographer Benjamin Kirk Nielsen as well. He and Chloe work well together to create arresting shots that tell the story in an attractive way without being distracting. In front of the camera, the movie was well cast. Maika gives a great lead performance with the right balance of teancity and vulnerability. She acts well as an audience surrogate and the character has been written scarcely enough that we are invited to step into her shoes. The rest of the cast is great too, with various archetypes being fulfilled in interesting ways. This is a little horror gem. It's 90 minutes, straight to the point and entertaining throughout.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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alanpotter17Jul 27, 2023

Uma ambientação clássica, que pelo estilo de câmera, enquadramento, trilha e tempo de tela, meio lenta, mas não arrastada, consegue transportar você para o clima de estar sendo observado, e a escolha em não traduzir os diálogos romanos foiUma ambientação clássica, que pelo estilo de câmera, enquadramento, trilha e tempo de tela, meio lenta, mas não arrastada, consegue transportar você para o clima de estar sendo observado, e a escolha em não traduzir os diálogos romanos foi perfeita, tornando o ambiente muito mais claustrofóbico.
Embora seja completamente fácil descobrir o plost, aqui a questão é a forma como tudo vai sendo desenvolvido, num filme que não se demora, mas também não tem pressa. As cenas de suspense conseguem passar a tensão necessária, e sinceramente, para a atual produção de filmes de gênero, isso é o suficiente para se destacar. As atuações estão perfeitas.
Algumas decisões do roteiro só me incomodaram lá para o final, como o pouco tempo de presença do vilão em tela, merecia alguns minutos a mais para explorar o suspense. Ainda assim, é um filme que consegue passar o que tinha de passar.
Infelizmente é um roteiro de pouco aproveitamento, e como já dito, as resoluções ocorrem rápidas demais no desfecho. Assim, embora o caminho seja de excelência, há uma espécie de "sabotagem" do roteiro ao partir para resoluções simplistas e caricatas, não condizentes com a atmosfera inebriante vista até então.
Pelo menos é tudo muito crível para ser simplesmente ignorado, a sensação de estar stakeando ou de ser um stalk é passada ao espectador, r por isso vale muito conferir.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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bertobellamyNov 4, 2022

Hitchcockian thriller with a subtle yet very important feminist angle. 'Watcher' is a great slow-burn that explores the gaslighting problem with an intriguing violent tale. Great acting, a good screenplay, and a minimalist approach are theHitchcockian thriller with a subtle yet very important feminist angle. 'Watcher' is a great slow-burn that explores the gaslighting problem with an intriguing violent tale. Great acting, a good screenplay, and a minimalist approach are the ingredients that make this fine debut a must-see.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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HabibiehakimJun 30, 2022

Watcher is another familiar, similar, inspired (or whatever you wanna called it) Rear Window type of movie, and for me no matter if it's the same or familiar or similar as long as it's made rightly then it's still can be a good movie, WatcherWatcher is another familiar, similar, inspired (or whatever you wanna called it) Rear Window type of movie, and for me no matter if it's the same or familiar or similar as long as it's made rightly then it's still can be a good movie, Watcher surprisingly did pretty much rightly, and the movie fills with convincing main characters well performly played by Maika Monroe, the tenseful feeling is works perfectly, it's so intense and i legit got scared and it's good because another great things about this movie besides the convincing main characters is the main killer of this film, i don't wanna give away who, but they pick a perfect person to do it, so menacing and terrifying, i was also enjoyed the movie thoroughly, got invest to the story, and overall Watcher is surprisingly a really good nice little film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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