New York Magazine’s 2018 feature “The Watcher” was all the makings of a taut, twisty and topical psychological thriller that triggered our universal neuroses about the illusion of privacy and security in our own homes. Journalist Reeves Wiedemann unravels the year-long saga of the real-life Broaddus family, who paid too much to fulfill their American dream of escaping the city and moving to a idyllic New Jersey suburb, only to find themselves in a nightmare. To be trapped: Almost immediately after settling down, he and his children begin to receive threatening letters. The situation spirals out of control, sending the family into paranoia (both justified and not) that pits neighbor against neighbor.
It’s easy to see why six different studios were eager to snatch the screen rights to Wiedemann’s feature, but it seems as though Netflix was trying to burn this premium piece of IP… “Asphalt,” “The Watcher”. Less than a month after the massive launch of the adaptation, the streamer’s second Ryan Murphy-helmed true-crime limited series removes all potential relativity and genuine horror from the source material. With a subtle hand, and very little runtime, a film could explore the dark side of upward dynamics and the rich themes of the erosion of civilization among neighbors, while serving up subtle but genuine fear, with the idea that Title Letter – The author can be any smiling neighbor at the grocery store.
The neighbors of Murphy’s “The Watcher” wouldn’t even be remotely recognizable in the real world, so we get none of that all-believable dread. Instead, fictional Nora and Dean Brannock (Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale) face a parade of caricatures in Westfield, New Jersey, each only too happy to rant about property lines and “you guys in town”. . Margo Martindale and Richard Kind are straight on the fence of their new dream home, which has been put to bad use as a quirky boomer couple who ask to see themselves within seconds of meeting Dean. Mia Farrow and Terry Kinney play Pearl and Jasper Willow, a mother and son who went straight out of “American Gothic.” Jennifer Coolidge, as always, manages to be happy as a real estate agent who needs to be cast in “Sailing Turnpike.”
If you know anything about the actual story, it’s hard to find anything to enjoy even in the fun performances. Murphy’s sledgehammer-like writing (he co-wrote and co-produced “Alley” and most recently “Asphalt” with his partner Ian Brennan) and cheap jumpsuits make for delicious entertainment when paired with the right subject matter, but “seeing” Too much nuance and a 90-minute or less runtime were required. Yet even with seven episodes in, we don’t get a slow build-up of animosity and fear—we get dead ferrets and ridiculous monologues (from Noma Dumezweni as a jazz singer to a real one as a private investigator) and a bizarre subplot. Including the 19-year-old security equipment entrepreneur (Henry Hunter Hall), all within the first episode.
If you’re in the mood for pure camping, “The Watcher” will keep you entertained for an hour or so before yelling out to your lawn.
“The Watcher” is now streaming on Netflix.
