Watcher (2022) Review

“At least I have the spider to keep me company.”

“It’s a man’s world,” James Brown proclaimed back in 1966, and nearly six decades later not much has changed. Writer/director Chloe Okuno reminds us of this stark reality with her film “Watcher.”

A film that would have never entered my radar but master of horror, Stephen King, once again ensures that it does.

While it is billed as a thriller, it plays more as a drama. One that requires patience, as it builds slowly. Through Okuno’s lens, the audience is ushered into a woman’s realm — one where each step outside demands a vigilant look over the shoulder, where the pervasive threat of being harassed, stalked or even disposed of, looms large. A woman’s world where their voiced anxieties are often disqualified, and met with dismissals from their male counterparts, whether from the police, friends or romantic interests. Their silence, shuttered by jokes — a bleak picture of society allowing women to fall prey to predators without repercussions. A woman’s world where danger is real and the discomfort it elicits is palpable.

Yet, just when it all seems too grim, Okuno delivers a denouement that validates your enduring patience.