Watcher [2022]
“I want you to f***ing believe me!”
Debut film, Watcher, by Chloe Okuno shows some serious directing vision, but lacks overall effectiveness by simply baring its teeth instead of biting down hard and leaving audiences gasping for air.
Following Julia as she moves from her home in New York to an apartment in Bucharest, Watcher forces the viewer on a journey of paranoia, self doubt, and betrayal. Throughout the film you, as the watcher, are forced to both sympathize with and feel uncomfortable alongside Julia as she wrestles with the threat of a local serial killer, “The Spider”, and what his tastes in victims could mean for her new existence.
The film is subtly powerful at times because of a subdued and lived-in performance by Maika Monroe [It Follows] as well as some excellent and emotive cinematography by Benjamin Kirk Nielsen. While it’s clear that Okuno’s vision carried this film to its end, I believe that the combination of Monroe and Nielsen delivered the punches. Especially considering that, where the film flounders most… has nothing to do with either of them.
As a debut film I think that Watcher has some promise and I hope that in future projects Chloe Okuno takes a little more time, says a little more, and really lets her story tell itself instead of rushing it along. Though simplistic and fairly transparent, Watcher doesn’t fall apart until the last 45-seconds or so of the film [No, that’s not a typo, it literally loses its entire grip within the last minute of its runtime]. It gets so close to really selling itself as a meaningful film, and then shoots itself right in the foot… or back, I guess.
While I wish this didn’t turn into an entire summer camp of tropes mere seconds before the credits roll, the journey is still worth taking for the atmosphere alone. The foundational premise of Watcher is one that many people live every day: When one experiences something that another cannot [or doesn’t want to] relate to, it’s difficult to express the way that event affects you. And, sometimes, that event can have catastrophic consequences.
I think most audiences interested in light-middleweight thrillers will thoroughly enjoy Watcher and all it has to offer. Those that want something heavier will feel it is lacking and see some very clear directions that could have been changed to beef up the outcome. If you watch this and like it, check out Monroe’s other starring role, It Follow for a similar [if a little dated] vibe. If you like things a little [or a lot] heavier, look at Violation instead.
“I'm tired of feeling like this because you can't let go of some f***ing fantasy!”
