Watcher (2022)
83%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 2 nominations
Although its story may lack surprises, Watcher benefits from director Chloe Okuno’s chilling grip on the material — and Maika Monroe’s terrific work in the leading role.
If you’re looking for a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Watcher is the perfect pick. Critics are raving about the psychological thriller, but don’t worry, you don’t need a degree in film studies to enjoy it. With a Hitchcockian vibe and a contemporary female spin, Watcher is a slow-burn thriller that will get under your skin. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good cat-and-mouse game? So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready to be mesmerized by Watcher.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some bloody violence, language, and some sexual material/nudity
Year of Release
2022
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.00 : 1
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Runtime:1h 36m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 3, 2022 Wide
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman, Tudor Petrut, Gabriela Butuc, Madalina Anea, directed by Chloe Okuno, written by Zack Ford, Chloe Okuno, mystery, thriller, R rating, Mason Novick, John Finemore, Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, box office gross $1.9M, reviewed by tt stern-enzi, Tim Cogshell, Peter Rainer, A.A Dowd, Jake Coyle, Sheila O’Malley, Filipe Freitas, Lynn Venhaus, Trace Thurman, John Serba, Tom Meek, Tara McNamara, serial killer, actress, boyfriend, stranger, Hitchcockian, psychological thriller, blonde heroine, suspense, slow-burn, taffy-pull, elevators, cat-and-mouse games, pulp movie, surprises, fresh, chilling, gripping, evocative, contemporary, female spin, moody, underwhelms, solid, rock, must-watch
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Karl Glusman – Francis
Burn Gorman – Watcher, Weber
Tudor Petrut – Taxi Driver
Gabriela Butuc – Flavia
Madalina Anea – Irina
Director – Chloe Okuno
Producers – Mason Novick, John Finemore, Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy
Writers – Zack Ford, Chloe Okuno
Director(s)
Chloe Okuno
Writer(s)
Zack Ford, Chloe Okuno
Producer(s)
Mason Novick, John Finemore, Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (119) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (104) | Rotten (15)
It grabs you along the way.
June 14, 2022
tt stern-enzi
WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
TOP CRITIC
Good movie — solid as a rock!
June 8, 2022
Tim Cogshell
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
This is all potentially fodder for a pulp movie, but instead it was extremely well-directed, very evocative, and more like a psychological thriller.
June 8, 2022
Peter Rainer
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
Theme never hijacks tension in Watcher, which is content to let meaning emerge organically from the familiar cat-and-mouse games of its slender genre plot.
June 5, 2022
A.A. Dowd
Digital Trends
TOP CRITIC
Okuno’s taut feature artfully reconstructs a Hitchcockian thriller around, yes, a blonde heroine in Monroe, but one with her own gaze and distinct anxieties.
June 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Jake Coyle
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
A chilly and elegant thriller.
June 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Sheila O’Malley
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
The director, avoiding complicating what is simple, makes it straightforward, with no frivolous scares.
July 8, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Filipe Freitas
Always Good Movies
Director Chloe Okuno, who wrote the story for the screen based on Zack Ford’s screenplay, gives a stylish, contemporary female spin on a classic old-school thriller, and it gets under your skin with her methodical approach.
July 1, 2022 | Rating: B+
Lynn Venhaus
PopLifeSTL.com…Presents
Doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises but Okuno’s masterful, claustrophobic direction and Monroe’s empathetic lead performance make Watcher a must-watch (sorry).
June 30, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Trace Thurman
Horror Queers Podcast
Watcher is a mesmerizing, understated, slow-burn thriller with long stares and poky elevators and a firm grip on both ends of the gradual taffy-pull of suspense.
June 24, 2022
John Serba
Decider
Chloe Okuno’s feature debut is a moody psychological thriller that feels fresh despite a wash-rinse-and-repeat narrative.
June 23, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
Writer-director Chloe Okuno overdelivers on the promise of her movie’s title but, in doing so, underwhelms in creating suspense.
June 15, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Tara McNamara
Common Sense Media…
Plot
A young actress who just moved to town with her boyfriend notices a mysterious stranger watching her from across the street as a serial killer stalks the city in Watcher.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Maika Monroe delivers a terrific performance in the leading role of Watcher.
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