Because I’d heard of the real-life case this show was based on, and had been fascinated and horrified by it, I was eager to watch this seven-part Netflix series, hoping for tingly vibes and slow-building tension. However, what I found instead was the tiniest kernel of the true case applied to a much-too-long storyline where weird townspeople abound, eyes are wide shut, and so many suspects emerge you stop caring which one it is and just want it all to be over. In addition, in the end I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be watching a horror show or a horror comedy, with several characters drawn so large they resembled bad sitcom characters from the 80s.
When Dean and Nora, along with their children Ellie and Carter, decide to move from the city to the burbs, they discover the most amazing home and MUST have it. So Dean puts every single penny they have into the enormous home. But wait…they still have enough to go ahead and renovate the kitchen, drink great wine, and hire a local contractor to install security cameras around the entire property after they start receiving unusual letters in the mail from “The Watcher.” These letters praise the home and say this Watcher is one of a long line of Watchers. It also lets the family know they need to care for the home, and how happy the home is to have young blood in it.
Obviously Dean and Nora are creeped out and are determined to discover which neighbor is sending the letters. There is quite the cast to choose from, but no spoilers here! Nora’s friend and realtor who sold them the house begins to suggest they should sell and, how convenient, she could help them! (This continues for the next several episodes.) Also, the police commissioner is hiding the fact that the previous owners were receiving similar letters, and refuses to help them. He does, however, suggest a private investigator type who might be able to, and they hire her (with their extra funds, hmm) to look into people and events. As the letters continue to arrive and become darker while other more dangerous things happen inside their home, and everyone around them gets weirder by the episode, their lives spin out of control until The Watcher is finally revealed (unlike in real life). But don’t reach for that remote yet! The show goes on, and on, and on for another hour or so at least. The question is, will anyone still be a WATCHER?
- Top Scare: Scene with Carter
- Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
- Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
- Scare Factor: 2 out of 5
- Recommended for: 15 and up due to sex and mature content
