TV Show Review - The Watcher (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2022
Starring: Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Coolidge, Christopher McDonald, Mia Farrow, Noma Dumezweni, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Luke David Blumm, Isabel Gravitt

Description: A married couple (Bobby Cannavale, Naomi Watts) moving into their dream home is being threatened by terrifying letters from a stalker, signed “The Watcher”.  

Review: Halloween is just around the corner and Netflix know damn well how to get you ready for that. Just in: “The Watcher”. A series, based on true events, about a married coupe and their two kids who buy their dream house.

Nora and Dean Brannock can’t believe how lucky they are, moving away from the big city, into to this beautiful house. Until they start receiving ominous letters, signed by someone killing themselves “The Watcher”. With that, the Brannocks’ neighbors are very strange and there seems to be a hidden history about the house.

The show started off super strong. The first two episode were really creepy, terrifying at times, where you just want to double check if you have locked every door and window in your house. The tension doesn’t stay consistent, but the mystery does.

Like the couple, you are constantly trying to figure out who is writing those letters and why this person keeps such close tabs on the Brannocks. It is loosely based on true events, which makes the thought of everything even scarier.

The ending might leave you a bit unsatisfied, but it makes sense, since that’s what really happened. A series easy to binge, perfect for Halloween.

10s Movie Review - The Hollars

Director: John Krasinski
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Sharlto Copley, Richard Jenkins, Randall Park, Josh Groban, Charlie Day, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Description: John (John Krasinski) returns to his small hometown after learning that his mother has fallen ill and is about to undergo surgery.

Review: In “The Hollars” we meet John Hollar, who returns to his family home after his mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His pregnant girlfriend stays ack in New York. When he comes home, he walks into his ex-girlfriend and has to face the trouble he has with his brother and father.
The film shows the life of an everyday family, each member with their own problems. Because the family isn’t extremely rich and maybe even closer to being poor, people can easily identify with them. The problems the Hollar family is dealing with, are ones that we can have and it makes the film realistic.
Although the film touches a very heavy theme, the humor is still there. Very dry humor, just how I like it. In the 80 minute runtime, we see a lot of different emotions. It’s not a lame comedy, it is in balance with the drama. But never gets to sobby (even though I cried).
The acting is great. John Krasinksi, who also directs this film, takes on the lead and does a wonderful job. I’ve always loved Krasinski and roles like this are perfect for him. The same goes for Anna Kendrick. Richard Jenkins and Sharlto Copley are fantastic as well, ad John father and brother. But it’s Margo Martindale that steals the show. She is so amazing. And with all this star power, I don’t understand why this film was so overlooked.
The story doesn’t follow the standard paths and it has some surprising moments. The storyline of John’s ex-girlfriend is added, but it could have been left out. At least the moments between John and her. The ones between John and Gwen’s new husband are fun.
This is the genre I love the most, a good mix of drama and comedy. And it was very well executed. I really loved “The Hollars”.

Rating: 4 / 5