Based on true events, the new Netflix limited series, The Watcher, has gained a lot of attention since it was released on the 13th of October. It quickly worked its way to the number one spot of ‘most popular’ on Netflix the week it came out…but is it any good? Ryan Murphy’s depiction of this stalker tale has left me feeling like I need to know more!
Well, if you love a mystery/thriller, then The Watcher is for you. A family moves into their dream house in New Jersey after being in New York, however, was this the best decision? There are strange neighbours, odd rumours and loose ends that will leave you confused after each episode. Oh, and some scandals along the way too.
I think a major weird plot twist was when the daughter Ellie, played by Isabel Gravitt, spread her dad was a racist online. I think this plot twist was a little far-fetched. All it led to was Dean, played by Bobby Cannavale, losing his job. This needed to happen in the plot, but it was just too much too soon with too little care. It went from 0-100. Suddenly, Dean is okay with Ellie. Suddenly, Ellie’s boyfriend Dakota is around for dinner having wine. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter she called the police on her dad. For me, it just wasn’t believable.
The series dealt with lots of subplots all at once. Although it was easy to follow along, there was just a lot going on. Perhaps, this is how we are meant to feel. Is the series meant to fill our heads and feel like we can’t rest about what’s going on because that’s what’s happening in the Brannock family? My favourite episode would be episode 6 (SPOILER COMING) when the private detector says she’s the watcher. That took me aback. It forces you to reconsider everything. Then to further our confusion already, we are then at her funeral, where we find out that she was lying about being the watcher! So, then your suspicions transcend back to the neighbours and the police officers.
With seven episodes, I binged this quite easily. But I am an impatient person, so I needed to watch as much as I could at once to know the answer. I’m afraid there’s no true ending to this series as the case in real life remains unsolved… creepy right! Inspired by the Broaduss family, Murphy adapted this real-life mystery into a series. Who do I think did it though? Probably the neighbour Pearl. She sticks out like a sore thumb, especially with her son Jasper. Their whole aesthetic just really makes you think ‘are you so obviously different because you are the answer?’. Part of me thinks, does Murphy have his suspicions as to who it is, or is he just as confused as everyone else?
Overall, I give this show probably a 6/10. Don’t get me wrong–I didn’t hate it. I just didn’t love it. The narrative felt a bit sporadic, and the ending was underwhelming in my opinion.
The series has had some mixed reviews already, with a whopping 31% on Rotten Tomatoes I can’t say it seems a success.
Now we are nearing Halloween; we are beginning to see spookier and unnerving narratives and personally, I’m loving it. Bring on spooky season…