The Watcher

It feels a bit like a slightly more sedate new series of American Horror Story cut off just before the moment when every single character is revealed to be either crazy, a murderer, or a ghost (as is usually the case with AHS). This show is weird. On the one hand, it's not as batshit crazy as AHS, but on the other it can't be taken seriously either, as many of the characters are too bizarre and some of the twists and turns seem stupid. I was more or less entertained, but there was just something distracting about it the whole time. (19/10/2022)

“This is America, right? Everybody buys a house they can't afford.” Psychological thrillers aren't that common, but Ryan Murphy knew this and added another gem to his filmography. This seven-episode series follows a family moving into a beautiful house in what seems like a very peaceful neighborhood. However, the arrival of a single letter from an unknown sender and some unfriendly neighbors sets the stage for a plot you couldn't make up. This setup gives the screenwriter plenty of room for creativity. Episode by episode, I found myself hooked, wanting more — more information, which was often tantalizingly out of reach. In the end, though, I was satisfied. It’s a mysterious, eerie, and downright strange series, but above all, it's a finely crafted psychological thriller. (07/11/2022)

Overwrought, overstuffed with false clues, bizarre/horror only marginally and, in the second half, extremely illogical and boring. However, the premise with the haunted house and creepy neighbors is appealing and Watts/Cannavale are a fine pair. Unfortunately, the climax is like Poirot after a massive stroke and the moral about greediness is not very believable. (20/10/2022)