A gripping and gorgeous-looking slow burn starring the fabulous horror icon of It Follows and The Guest, Maika Monroe. Julia moves into a Bucharest apartment with her husband for his thriving career whilst she takes a break from hers. Immediately, Julia feels isolated due to the language barrier, exacerbated by the fact her husband and his friends speak in their native tongues persistently in her presence. With little to do during the day, Julia begins to suspect she is being watched by an ominous figure in the opposite building.
The cinematography in Watcher is what really elevates the film above that of your conventional stalker thriller. Reminiscent at times of Fellini and especially Kubrick’s The Shining, given how many symmetrically framed shots there are throughout, particularly with the interiors. Director Chloe Okuno understands the inherent menace in wide spartan spaces, with Monroe being framed centrally down tall corridors, against wide beige curtains and alone at a seemingly deserted metro station. Visual signifiers are used to great effect to enhance the sense of growing emotional and physical isolation Julia undergoes; several early scenes feature her in bright red dresses against bland, pale-coloured buildings and hallways.
Another standout performance is that of Burn Gorman, whose chiselled features and subdued physical mannerisms create an ambiguous aura of menace. This is not just style over substance, however, and all the characters, even the minor ones, react and engage as real people would in such a scenario. For most of its running time, it is unclear whether Julia is merely succumbing to the mental strain of her situation.
Whilst breaking no new ground, Watcher executes simplicity with real excellence, subtlety and style.
4/5
