In the expat community, there is the problem of the trailing spouse. That’s because half of an expat couple usually arrives in a foreign country with a new job, a new office and new responsibilities. Meanwhile, the other partner, often a woman, doesn’t have a work permit in the county, doesn’t know anyone, often doesn’t speak the language and has to recreate a life for herself out of language lessons and muddling through a life in a foreign country that might not be her first choice. Such is the situation in WATCHER, directed by Chloe Okuno and co -written by Okuno and Zach Ford. The film screened at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas in March.
We meet Julia (Maika Monroe) and her partner Francis (Karl Glusman) as they are arriving in the rainy city of Bucharest, Romania, dragging heavy suitcases. They’ve landed there because Francis speaks fluent Romanian due to having a Romanian mother, language skills that have gotten him a new job. Given that Julia has come to the country without knowing anyone but Francis, not speaking the language and not having anything to do during the day, she spends time exploring the rainy gray city. With all of her time alone, Julia ends up becoming friends with her glamorous and exotic next door neighbor Irina (Madalina Anea), whose active social life they can hear through the thin walls separating the two apartments.
The city of Bucharest seems a little grubby and down at the heel. Or maybe it’s just that the couple just isn’t living in the best part of town? Still, the couple still has a glamorous modern Scandinavian style apartment with large windows.
Echoing REAR WINDOW, the flat’s large windows face the windows of other flats. The couple has no curtains when they first move in. Soon, Julia realizes that she isn’t the only one looking out the windows at other people. Across the block of flats is the spectacularly creepy Burn Gorman, giving off a spectacularly creepy vibe by just breathing. Meanwhile, Bucharest is being terrorized by a serial killer known as “The Spider,” which may or may not have anything to do with a crime scene the couple passes one night.
WATCHER is a slow-burn thriller that wears its classic psychological horror influences proudly. The film puts a modern spin on the question of what it means when someone really sees you, or you really see someone else.
This review is filed from South By Southwest coverage. IFC will release WATCHER on June 3rd.