Watcher is a 2022 psychological thriller film written and directed by Chloe Okuno in her feature directorial debut, based on an original screenplay by Zack Ford.
While Francis works long hours, Julia grows unnerved by a man in the building across the street, who watches her on a daily basis.
Her fears are heightened when she learns of a serial killer, dubbed "the Spider" by local media, who is decapitating young women.
In the city one day, she senses a man following her to a theatre and a supermarket, but when Francis and Julia visit the market to review security footage, it proves inconclusive.
That night, a police officer arrives at her apartment accompanied by the man, identified as Daniel Weber, who accuses Julia of stalking him.
When he attempts to explain why he watches her, that he lives an isolated, unexciting life caring for his father, Julia notices what appears to be the outline of a severed head in his shopping bag.
In March 2021, it was announced that Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman and Burn Gorman would star in a film titled Watcher for Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures.
“Watcher is one of the best feature debuts we have ever screened out of Sundance and with it, Chloe Okuno has proven without a doubt that she is a leading new voice in horror,” said IFC Film president Arianna Bocco.
The website's consensus reads: "Although its story may lack surprises, Watcher benefits from director Chloe Okuno's chilling grip on the material – and Maika Monroe's terrific work in the leading role.
"[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.