’Watcher’ review: Dir. Chloe Okuno [Sundance 2022]

The line-up at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is made up of many movies shot during the pandemic. There might have been a virus raging through the global population for the last two years, but determined filmmakers haven’t been deterred and have continued to churn out films. Each director, and member of cast and crew, should be commended for pushing through the living nightmare that we have all been dealing with in order to create entertainment. Chloe Okuno is the latest director to tackle the seemingly impossible mission with the paranoid thriller Watcher.

Filmed in Bucharest, Romania, Watcher joins Maika Monroe’s Julia as she relocates to the city with her fiance, Francis (Karl Glusman). Making the move from America is a big commitment for Julia as, not only does she have no job to go to, she also doesn’t speak the language. As she drifts through an isolated and aimless existence she gets the sensation that she’s being followed and watched from afar. With a serial killer known as The Spider working in the area, has Julia become the next target, or is paranoia getting the better of her? 

Maika Monroe is no stranger to being followed on film, but Watcher is a very different beast to It Follows. Here Okuno keeps the viewer guessing about whether the sense of being watched that Julia is experiencing is real or not, the plot facilitating just enough doubt within each encounter to keep the audience off-kilter. These cracks are forced wider by those around Julia, and with no one believing her stories, the character is placed into even deeper isolation. This means that much of the film rests upon Monroe’s shoulders, the actor giving a resolute performance as she tries to get Julia’s voice heard.

Not being listened to or taken seriously is a scenario that a lot of women will feel all too familiar with. Even when Julia is commenting on early events when she sees a neighbour across the street staring into her apartment, she is belittled and told she’s imagining it. This frustratingly relatable plot point highlights society’s reticence in just listening to what women have to say. On top of that, Okuno captures the everyday feeling of being unsafe in the most mundane settings, which is also something that many will empathise with. Even something as trivial as going to the supermarket in the middle of the day proves a toxic and dangerous situation for Julia, and in light of recent events within the UK, feels like a timely reminder of how women have to constantly be aware of their surroundings. It’s not an ideal way to live, and through Julia the most extreme outcomes of such simple tasks are laid bare for the viewer to think on.  

Wives and girlfriends who are perceived to be hysterical, whose stories aren’t believed, isn’t a new move for films. Though Watcher adds nothing new to the table, the construction of its elements work to reinforce intrigue and unease. By placing Julia into a strange new environment Okuno is able to tell this story through a slightly different filter and this moderate change is enough to keep the viewer engaged despite the familiarity on display. The language barrier is utilised to maximum potential, selling Julia’s disconnect from the world around her. By keeping the Romanian dialogue free of subtitles Okuno inserts the viewer into the same position as Julia and it becomes disorientating trying to work out what is being said around and about her. How well the film will translate for those that speak both languages is a little unclear, it won’t reveal any secrets to the plot, but may reveal more about other characters’ thoughts and feelings toward Julia. 

As thrillers go, Watcher is fairly by-the-numbers, though the change in setting and the timely topics ensure there’s enough to satisfy most viewers. Exactly the type of film that thrives in a streaming setting, Watcher offers plenty of distraction from the world at your door. 

Watcher was reviewed at Sundance 2022.