'Watcher' is a spine-tingling thriller steeped in paranoia.

by DarkSkyLady

The Watcher, written by Zach Ford and Chloe Okuno and directed by Chloe Okuno, is a cross between Lost in Translation and Don’t Look Now. Maika Monroe as Julia skillfully carries the role, mixing attempted confidence with growing discomfort and vulnerability. Julia’s mental health slowly deteriorates thanks to isolation, gaslighting, and fear that someone is watching her. A thriller and drama, The Watcher captures the way women silence our inner warning bells because of gaslighting men. 

Poor Julia deserved better than her fiancé, Francis (Karl Glusman). Culture shock is challenging enough, but when there’s a language barrier and your only means of communication is your partner, who only translates what he chooses, the level of isolation increases. Julia is separate from her surroundings and slowly separates from her fiancé. 

The negative relationship dynamic is apparent early in The Watcher when the pair rides in a cab to their new apartment in Romania, where Francis has transferred for his job. Francis jokingly translates that the driver said he hates Julia and later does not translate when the super lets them into their apartment. She is at the mercy of what Francis chooses to translate or anyone else for that matter. When Julia fears someone is watching her, Francis’s go-to response is that she is paranoid because of the move. As though women suspect stalkers every time they have problems. 

Julia wants to trust her instincts, yet the men around her—even the police— have other ideas. They downplay her fear about the man watching her and following her. The ease with which they rationalize how the man keeps popping up makes her seem emotionally desperate for attention and projects the male perspective on women. Men are dangerous when women do not meet their emotional or physical needs, yet women receive the doubt. Julia’s discomfort is palpable at the dinner because—even though the other couple speaks English—they switch to Romanian and, intentionally or not, alienate Julia from the discussion. 

As the situation escalates slowly, with a serial killer dubbed “The Spider” on the loose, we witness Julia and Francis’ relationship deteriorate. Viewers sense Julia’s frustration and hurt that Francis does not believe her. Whether the man is the serial killer is irrelevant. The lack of support leaves Julia terrified outside and inside her home because she is sharing space with someone who views her as an emotional, paranoid woman. The film highlights this aspect leaving viewers crossing their fingers for Julia’s safety and cursing Francis. 

Maika Monroe carries the film. The Watcher terrifies us because we relate to Julia’s experiences. It is common to feel unsafe; to see a man following you or label you unreliable simply because you are not a man. As though women are presented with an adjustment and imagine dangers that do not exist. The film highlights the risks for women and, no matter where they are, the lack of protection we have, even from sources like the police. 

Burn Gorman as the watcher, left me feeling creepy beyond words. His deadpan expression and slow movements are unnerving. You cannot tell what he is thinking, it could be about birds or about murder but there are no tells in his face. It is terrifying to be a woman in this world that disregards a woman’s experiences for their own prejudiced interpretation based on no experience at all; yet women are dubbed illogical. 

The Watcher displays a level of artistry in directing and acting that makes it a worthwhile viewing. The film is a slow burn and the serial killer largely plays second fiddle to isolation Julia experiences. Because The Watcher is about how women are left to fend for themselves. I am happy the ending went the direction it did, although I would love to see the aftermath for some other characters but ultimately this is about Julia, and Maika Monroe brought the character to life.