FBI agent Joel Campbell, burnt-out and shell-shocked after years spent chasing serial killers, flees L.A. to begin a new life for himself in Chicago. But five months later, Joel's best laid plans are abruptly cut short when his new hometown becomes the setting for some particularly gruesome murders--murders that could only have been committed by one man: David Allen Griffin. One of Joel's most elusive and cunning nemeses, Griffin has followed his former pursuer to Chicago in order to play a sadistic game of cat and mouse. Taunting Joel with photographs of his intended victims and leaving his crime scenes meticulously free of clues in order to keep the police at bay, Griffin derives as much pleasure out of watching Joel react to every movement as watching his victims die. But when Griffin moves into Joel's inner circle, Joel must quickly find some way to stop him before someone close to him becomes the next one to die.
Similar titles
Reviews
I really enjoy this movie it had better good acting it has keanu as the serial killer it has better good soundtrack it good in my book
A detective tracking a serial killer gives up all hope of solving the crimes and moves to another city. After he's settled in to his new home, the old acquaintance makes himself known. The serial killer has resurrected and continues to send him pictures of his next victim.......The Watcher is more famous for exploiting Keanu Reeves and his star power, and he's apparently disowned the film whenever he's asked about it, but underneath all it's notoriety, there's a decent serial killer film hidden in there.Granted, these dark serial killer films were everywhere after the advent of Se7en, and this, and maybe Along Came A Spider, spelled the death knell do this sub genre, so maybe if this film was made in the mod nineties, it would've been more of a success in my humble opinion.So we have James Spader struggling to come to terms with the killers obsession with him, and the fact that in less than ten years he will lose his hair and put on a ton of weight. And Marisa Tomei co-stars as the person who has to listen to him.So far, so mundane, so thank heavens for Reeves, who honestly puts in an amazing performance as Griffin, the serial killer obsessed with perfecting his art by studying his victims for weeks.It's really against type for him, but this makes his character more intense, because he's literally so nice in every one of his previous films. He really is great as the antagonist.Other than that, it ticks all the boxes in a cat and mouse thriller, the killer is always one step ahead of Spader, and Spader gets that little more frustrated, maybe he is beginning to feel some psychotic tendencies.There is nothing new to offer in the thriller genre, but one film the film does is show that Reeves can put in a decent performance, especially when he plays against type.
**THIS REVIEW COULD CONTAIN A LOT OF SPOILERS. IF THE READER DOESN'T WANT THE FILM POSSIBLY SPOILED FOR THEM, I SUGGEST VIEWING THE FILM FIRST.**First off, Keanu (David) is a serial killer who decides to kill the girlfriend of this current FBI agent, who was married to another man. The serial killer is really good at setting up booby traps, so I noticed in the movie anyway. When the woman is left home alone, the detective comes over to visit her, to find out she's tied up to a chair in the house. He sees Keanu run out the back, and decides to chase him. Little does this "FBI agent" know that there was some kind of rig he had set up, that burnt the lady to a charred leafy crisp a short time after he kicked in the door to the house. This kind of pulled me into the movie a little bit. It got me connected to the detective's character more, but boy was it a depressing connection.Without giving too much away, and spoiling the film entirely, we'll just say the former FBI agent returns to the force as a detective for the Chicago police. He's all drugged up on medications for psychosis (due to guilt of getting that lady killed), migraines, and diabetes. He's just a complete wreck, until his therapist turns his confidence around. The movie is a game of cat and mouse from there. There's a few good killing scenes. It's really suspenseful as well. All-in-all, I think the acting was good, the script was okay (could've been better), and the dialog was good. I would recommend this movie for those who like police mystery/suspense movies for a one time watch.
"The Watcher" is the most recent addition to a long line of serial killer thriller films, and it does a somewhat commendable job in carrying out its plot. In reality, it is little more than a highly stylized showcase for all of the classic thriller clichés that have become so well-known throughout the last century, taking them and giving them an extra flare by using stunning cinematic tricks, a stellar cast and a pounding soundtrack. I am divided as to whether I like this movie or not: I enjoyed the vast array of shocking and vivid images, while I tended to become a bit bored by the clichés it portrayed throughout. I can't say that I completely hated this film, yet I cannot fully like it, either. The movie begins when FBI agent Joel Campbell begins receiving phone calls and photographs from his arch nemesis, a serial killer whose last alias was that of David Allen Griffin. He takes special care in killing lonely women with piano wire, leaving the scene of the crime with no trace of his identity. Campbell has a personal connection to Griffin: through his flashbacks, we see his attempt to rescue a woman trapped in a burning house, and his relationship to this woman as well as his involvement with Griffin will all be revealed in due time, one of the movie's attributes.Actors for "The Watcher" deliver quality performances that make the movie enjoyable. James Spader plays the delusional detective Joel Campbell, and he does a perfect job in delivering Campbell's emotions when it comes to pursuing his target. We are able to believe in his not wanting to give up despite the effects it may have on him physically and emotionally. Spader plays Campbell as a stern and aggressive character, the character to root for throughout. Keanu Reeves plays his rival, David Allen Griffin, and does one of his better acting jobs here. This is material he was born to play... he possesses wit and a certain twisted charm that is untypical to Griffin's character, and that makes him a better serial killer than most other movies. Oscar winner Marisa Tomei plays therapist Polly Beilman, though she is not really able to display a lot of her talent in this film, as it focuses mainly on the two leads and their physical and psychological battle with one another.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
