The options for horror this year have been like no other. Every month a new frightful television show or movie has dropped and they have exceeded expectations. On Oct. 13, 2022, “The Watcher” was released on Netflix. It may seem like a typical tale, but what makes it truly scary is that it is based on a true story. 

The writer of “The Watcher” is Ryan Murphy. Originally the creator of “Glee,” Murphy has moved on to a more bone-chilling genre. His most famous thrillers are “American Horror Story” and the recently released series “Dahmer.” There is no doubt that horror is what he is made to craft. 

“The Watcher” is about a family of four who moves to a beautiful home in the suburbs of New Jersey. After a life surrounded by heavy traffic and bright lights in New York, they felt a more peaceful life would be preferred. Unfortunately, they had to give up their life savings to enjoy this new lifestyle, which led them to some financial trouble. The trouble with money caused their happy marriage to decline.

Meanwhile, his family’s love for the house did not last long whatsoever. Throughout their time living in the neighborhood, the family received threatening letters from someone under the name of “The Watcher.” For weeks they were terrorized by this mysterious evil being. Immediately it had me on edge, questioning who it was going to be. It was fun to theorize who it was, and the ending still left me wondering. The show constantly teased the audience with a new potential suspect in every episode. I personally believe it was John Graff, a character that lived in the house many years before. He ended up murdering his family which seems to be good evidence that he stalks his next victims. 

Murphy’s approach to the narrative uses unconventional characters and an entertaining script. His writing skills made it easy for me to love or hate certain characters. He caught my attention perfectly, and my eyes never let go of the TV screen. The actors’ performances were also incredible and captured how wild this story really is.

Any true horror fan, including me, could sit down and binge the seven 50-minute episodes in one sitting. I highly recommend taking a look at this one-of-a-kind thriller and appreciating the art Murphy has created.

Contact Anna Frazier at [email protected]