Netflix’s “The Watcher” proves that true stories don’t equal happy endings

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I love a good mystery, trying to figure out different character’s motives and analyzing relationship dynamics. So, when I heard there was a popular Netflix original that fit all of these enjoyments, I knew I had to watch it.

“The Watcher” hit the streaming platform on Oct. 13 and immediately gained a lot of popularity. Upon watching the first episode, I was instantly hooked. The overall premise of the series was extremely engaging.

Based on a true story, “The Watcher” follows the Brannock family who purchase a gorgeous mansion in the New Jersey suburbs to escape their busy city life. However, their initial bliss doesn’t last long when the family starts to receive threatening letters from someone named The Watcher. The question then becomes this — who is this watcher, what do they want and will the family be able to stay in the house?

Many suspects arise as the story unfolds. There are a lot of creepy neighbors who seem to have a bit too big of a suspicion with the house. Dean Brannock comes in contact with the strange, previous owners of the home. The family also hires help to save and protect the house, people who also aren’t entirely trustworthy. And who’s to say someone within the Brannock family isn’t guilty themselves?

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The show had a lot of suspects, which I appreciated as I was unable to pin down the true culprit. However, I wasn’t a fan of the many plotlines that were going on. For example, Brannock’s daughter Ellie had a relationship with the family’s hired security camera man. This relationship proved to be detrimental to the family dynamic, but was never fully addressed amongst the chaos taking place.

The further into the show I got, the less interested I became. Just when I felt I was getting closer to solving the mystery, another storyline popped up. If the show focused on just a couple plotlines, it would have been more enjoyable.

Storylines aside, the acting was top notch. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale gave stellar performances and made the viewer feel equally as stressed in the horrible situation their characters’ were in. The entire cast was believable and delivered amazingly raw emotion.

The ending was by far the worst part of the story. However, the show writers stuck to the true story with an ending that spoke to real life.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars