As haunting as the title suggests, the trailer for the Chloe Okuno helmed thriller-horror, Watcher, is giving us a reason to look over our shoulders. Penned by Okuno and Zack Ford, the first look reveals a sinister game of cat and mouse – or is it? Starring Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, and Burn Gorman, the film will keep audiences guessing until the credits roll.
With haunting music, the trailer opens on a wide-eyed woman named Julia (Monroe) accompanied by her husband (Glusman) in the back of a taxi. As the city lights of Romania fill the car with color, Julia looks optimistic about her new life. Living in a stunning apartment, the new home proves to not be the safe haven the ex-actress was looking for when she spots the shadow of a man in a neighboring building gazing at her. The voyeur soon becomes the only thing Julia can think about, much to the chagrin of her husband – why do the husbands never believe their spouses?! The is-there-isn’t-there vibes of this movie are rather anxiety-inducing as Julia becomes so engulfed in this possible stalker that she begins to lose her mind.
But, just when you think Julia is a total nut job, the film takes an even darker twist. A murder has happened next door with the neighbor facing a brutal death at the hands of an unknown serial killer known only as The Spider. Understandably freaked out, this launches Julia into an even more heightened state, paranoid of everyone she sees. When she locks in on one particular target, it will either prove to be the end of the case or just the beginning. One thing is for sure – Watcher will be a non-stop thrill ride and hold viewers at the edge of their seats.
Equally chill-inducing, the film’s poster displays Julia looking out of a rain-soaked window. In an artsy move, the creative department put the looming killer from across the street over one of Julia’s eyes, giving the sense that the pair are facing down one another. Critical acclaim decorates the poster and at the top, the logo reads, “Evil Wants To Be Seen.”
Hitting up the festival circuit, Watcher debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival with a follow-up screening at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival. You can catch the IFC film in select theaters on June 3, with a rental release of June 21. Check out the poster, trailer, and full synopsis below.
Here’s the synopsis:
In WATCHER, Julia (Maika Monroe) joins her husband (Karl Glusman) when he relocates to his family’s native Romania for a new job. Having recently abandoned her acting career, she finds herself frequently alone and unoccupied. One night, people-watching from her picture window, she spots a vague figure in an adjacent building, who seems to be looking back at her. Soon after, while alone at a local movie theater, Julia’s sense of being watched intensifies, and she becomes certain she’s being followed — could it be the same unknown neighbor? Meanwhile, a serial killer known as The Spider stalks the city.
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