A young couple in a new home receives increasingly disturbing notes and packages from a mysterious individual known only as the watcher. It’s a simple premise that’s grounded in a bit of truth (a similar situation happened in New Jersey). However the movie ultimately goes a more theatrical route—a choice that plays in its favor as well as against it. There’s a few tense moments throughout, and an entertaining enough reveal. That said, the end of the film seems to contradict a bit of what’s been established, and could have been left out entirely. Viewers would do well to temper their expectations with the knowledge that this was made for Lifetime. The performances work well enough, but it’s a fairly sanitized thriller. In the end, The Watcher is a surprisingly good slice of suburban horror.
