Beobachtet

Ein Klischee, das aber eine angenehme Hauptdarstellerin hat (für blonde Bobs habe ich eine besondere Schwäche). Solide gedreht, mit einem Gefühl für das kalte Milieu und der Fähigkeit, für Gänsehaut zu sorgen. Die beste Zielgruppe des Films sind junge Amerikanerinnen, die Osteuropa besuchen möchten oder in diese Gegend umziehen, idealerweise nach Rumänien. In dem Film wird nicht nur Englisch, sondern auch Rumänisch gesprochen. Die Hauptfigur ist der einziger Ausländer in dem Land. Vier Sterne würde der Film mit einem einfallsreicheren und schlaueren Ende verdienen. Der dumme Höhepunkt hat dem Film aber geschadet. Eine Zeit lang sah es so aus, dass der Film ein unerwartetes Finale haben wird, das mir persönlich sehr gefallen würde (und einen Mainstream-Zuschauer verärgern würde). (23.07.2022)

Watcher won't score points for originality, but I personally give it points for style and directorial skill. The subject has been dealt with many times, but usually I find films in which strange things happen to the main female character, her husband doesn't believe her, and the viewer is supposed to be in uncertainty whether there really is something evil or whether it’s all in the protagonist’s head, annoying because of their triteness. But Maika Monroe is a great actress and Chloe Okuna clearly has directorial talent, so Watcher hooked me and entertained me, very much. The tension in the subway scene, for example, is palpable. Those who can tune in properly will get a quality chilling slowburn. 7/10 (23.06.2022)

A solid old school paranoid psycho thriller with a touch of Hitchcock. I usually find genre films with a similar concept to be mediocre, but Watcher managed to win me over with something despite its slow pace. The attractive and well-acted Maika Monroe moves to Bucharest to visit her husband, but he spends most of the day at work, so the main character has to spend most of her time alone and Bucharest is not exactly an ideal place to spend your free time. The film also works well because of the setting, where the main character tries to fit in in an unfamiliar city where she knows no one, most of the people are sketchy, there is a serial killer who hangs out in the city and cuts women's heads off, and she is stalked by her next door neighbour. Apparently Romania is a country without curtains, and thanks to the big windows overlooking all the neighbours, it manages to evoke the right uncomfortable feelings. An honest, authentic, realistic and chilling slow burn with excellent craftsmanship, a great female lead, a good bad guy, an intense final half hour (the metro is atmospheric awesome), and an awesome finale! You can say that the film could have brought some more fundamental twist, but I'm still surprisingly satisfied with the quality this time. Story 3/5. Action 2/5, Humor 0/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 4/5. 7/10 (27.06.2022)