The Watcher: You play a game of ‘whodunnit’ along with the characters on screen

Imagine investing all of your life savings and moving into your dream home. The house you just bought is everything you have ever imagined and more. But all of a sudden you are terrorised by a series of threatening letters. You fear for the safety of your family. So, what do you do?

From the creators of the extremely popular Netflix original Dahmer – Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan – comes a new psychological thriller series The Watcher. 

Ever since its release on 13 October, the show has become one of the most popular series available on Netflix. It stars Naomi Watts (Nora) and Bobby Cannavale (Dean), and is based on the true story of the Brannock family, reported by Reeves Wiedeman and published in New York Magazine in 2018.

Set in the suburbs of New Jersey, the story begins with the Brannock family moving into their dream home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield. From the very next day the family starts receiving letters from an unknown sender who calls himself 'The Watcher'. 

This person seems to be monitoring the family's every move, including the two children Ellie (Isabel Gravitt) and Carter (Luke David Blumm). 

The series knows about the things people obsess over, and what scares you. It has deeper commentaries on social media, the real-estate market, cancel culture, conspiracy theories, religious fanaticism, and the lifestyle choices people make in the modern world. 

The family who went through this actual ordeal left 657 Boulevard soon for good. In contrast, the Netflix's adaptation, where the Brannocks had their life savings invested in the property and try to discover the identity of their harasser. The motivation behind the letters becomes an obsession for Dean.

Meanwhile, they also develop tense relationships with several neighbours – played by Margot Martindale, Richard Kind, and Mia Farrow — and everyone becomes a suspect. 

The show has quite a bit of slow burn to it, but it is held together by a brilliant cast. Farrow's performance was creepy and haunting, Watts' paranoia felt real and Jennifer Coolidge did what she does best. 

The desaturated colour palette and the piano-centric score by Morgan Kibby and David Klotz also felt like a homage to horror films from the 70's such as Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, The Exorcist and John Carpenter's original Halloween. 

This limited series also does not go overboard with the gore and mayhem like some of Murphy's other works like Dahmer or American Horror Story. But it really does make you feel like danger lurks in every corner, even in one's own home. It brilliantly wheels you in and the more of it you watch, the more you start to feel like Dean: adrift in a world that's gone horribly awry, and you too are haunted by the very same questions. 

However, as the show went on, it did not feel as grounded as it did at the start. It is an adaptation, but the added layer of absurdity did make it feel like it was quite loosely based on the real story, losing some of its original essence.

The presentation of the story followed a linear path, and you too take part in a game of 'whodunnit' along with the protagonists of the show. 

The Watcher by no means is perfect, but the mystery and the performances from a stellar cast make it a worthwhile experience. The show makers could have staged a realistic story, but if you're a fan of thrillers, you will end up having a pretty good time with it.