Watcher is a psychological thriller film that follows a woman who moves to Bucharest with her husband and begins to suspect that a man watching her from the apartment building across the street might be a serial killer. The film is written and directed by Chloe Okuno, and it is based on an original screenplay by Zack Ford. The movie stars Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, and Burn Gorman. RogerEbert.com published a review of the film and wrote, “Watcher is about the confusion between the voyeur and the voyeur’s “object.” When he looks at her, she looks back. She is as aware of him as he is of her. She’s a “watcher” too. The boundaries blur. He infiltrates her every waking moment. But the terrifying thing is that no crime has been committed.” If you enjoyed the thrilling ride brought by Watcher, here are five movies we recommend watching which involve themes of paranoia, stalking, and serial killers.
Ratter
Just like Watcher, the 2015 American found-footage horror thriller film Ratter centers on a woman being stalked. It is written and directed by Branden Kramer in his feature debut. The film is based on a short film also written and co-directed by Kramer titled Webcam. It stars Ashley Benson and Matt McGorry. The plot follows a young woman who is being stalked and watched through the camera on her laptop. The Internet is ubiquitous and ever-present in our daily lives. We rely on it for communication, entertainment, work, and even socializing. It’s hard to imagine life without it. But with this constant connection comes a new sense of vulnerability.
In Ratter, that vulnerability is explored to chilling effect. Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics. A review by The Hollywood Reporter praised the film saying, “Shooting exclusively from the perspective of these types of devices, writer-director Branden Kramer achieves a disturbingly intimate invasion of privacy that gradually escalates from uncomfortably creepy to potentially lethal. Although the film demonstrates a natural affinity for digital distribution, theatrical exhibition may offer unique opportunities as well.”
Men
Men is a folk horror film written and directed by Alex Garland that tells the story of a widowed woman who travels to a remote village and becomes disturbed by the strange men who live there. Jessie Buckley stars as the woman, and Rory Kinnear portrays the man. Men explores the theme of dark masculinity, and it is said to be influenced by films such as The Wicker Man and Don’t Look Now. The film has been described as “creepy” and “unsettling”, and it is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with its sinister premise and excellent cast.
The Guardian gave particular praise to the film’s score and wrote, “A choral score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow beautifully bridges the gap between the film’s modern British pastoral setting and timeless Euro-gothic chills, with human voices and unearthly noises dancing around earthy soundscapes that seem to be simultaneously internal and external – real and imagined.”
Rear Window
Rear Window is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes based on Cornell Woolrich’s 1942 short story “It Had to Be Murder”. It stars James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr. The film is set primarily in the rear courtyard of an apartment building on West 8th Street, Greenwich Village, New York City, in the summer of 1954. The main character, professional photographer L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart), is recuperating from a broken leg and he is confined to his New York apartment, where he spends his time looking out of the rear window at the goings-on in the seven surrounding apartments.
However, one evening he witnesses a woman, being strangled to death by her husband. Variety published a review of Rear Window praising Hitchcock’s direction saying, “Hitchcock confines all of the action to this single setting and draws the nerves to the snapping point in developing the thriller phases of the plot. He is just as skilled in making use of lighter touches in either dialog or situation to relieve the tension when it nears the unbearable. Interest never wavers during the 112 minutes of footage.”
Zodiac
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Also involving a serial killer plot is the 2007 American mystery thriller film Zodiac directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. It is based on the non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith, Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked, which were published in 1986 and 2002, respectively. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. with Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch, Chloë Sevigny, Philip Baker Hall, and Dermot Mulroney in supporting roles.
The plot revolves around the San Francisco Bay Area’s Zodiac Killer and the detectives and reporters in pursuit of him. The Guardian reviewed the film commending Zodiac’s entertainment value saying, “It is impossible not to enjoy Zodiac: if enjoy is the word for a picture so often scary and stomach-turning. And it certainly isn’t boring, despite a mammoth two-and-a-half hour running time.”
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne from a screenplay written by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film Diversion. Starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Arche. It explores the dangers of infidelity and centers on a successful Manhattan lawyer, who has a weekend affair with a woman he meets at a bar. Though he initially views the affair as a harmless diversion, he soon realizes that the woman is unstable and dangerously obsessed with him. As she begins to stalk and threaten his family, he must take desperate measures to protect himself and his loved ones.
Fatal Attraction is a suspenseful and ultimately terrifying film that garnered critical acclaim and was a box office success. The film’s popularity spurred debate about gender roles and spawned several sequels and adaptations. Empire gave particular praise to the lead performances saying, “Two absolutely riveting performances and a smart reversal of the usual male-female stalker scenario leave behind a nasty taste and an unforgettable cinema experience.
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