Anyone else watch "The Watcher" (Netflix)?

[llmart]

I binged it the last few nights. Sure kept me entangled in it 'til the very end. Based on a true story.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Watching... on episode 2 I think. I like it! Love BCannavale and JCoolidge

[NJCher]

11. Coolidge is a scream

as the realtor with the puffed up lips and overweight condition that she disregards in her rather positive estimation of herself.

So far (and I am only on the first episode) most of the characters are very much like NJ characters you'd find around here and in a place like Westfield.

There is one, who is the neighbor--Moe's husband--who talks with a lower class NJ accent. You probably wouldn't find him for real in a place like Westfield. I thought his comment about "rocket" was out of character. A guy who moves to an upper income suburb isn't likely to keep his crude accent yet be tuned into a subtlety like calling "rocket" "arugula."

Also no real gardener would throw arugula rustica seeds around the base of hedges!

One more unrealistic point: most of the time in upper income suburbs, people are friendly with their neighbors, if for no other reason than neighbors can help protect your expensive house investment. Consequently, I find the antagonism a little suspect. I do, however, like the way the neighbors end some of their conversations with allusions to "watching." Makes the situation more ominous.

[Luciferous]

2. Quit after episode 4, it just got too

ridiculous for me.

[3Hotdogs]

3. This happened, two towns over from me.

Stories about the lawsuits were in several editions of the Star_Ledger.


Netflix producers took liberties but the basis of the story is real.

[Luciferous]

4. Yeah, I know. The real family never

even lived in the house so they took a lot of liberties.

[3Hotdogs]

5. As I recall, prior family did live in the house.

[Luciferous]

6. Huh, I read they bought the house and

never even lived in it. They also tried to split the property in two but the city vetoed that idea. I know the family they bought the property from received letters but the family that lives there now hasn't had any issues.

[beaglelover]

7. I think we've watched 3 or 4 so far. It's kind of slow moving.

I do like the 2 main actors, but I'm not sure we'll finish it. Does it get more interesting after the first few episodes?

[beaglelover]

10. OK, we finished it last night. My verdict, a complete waste of time.

There's better programs out there on Netflix. I'll put this one down as one of the weaker Ryan Murphy productions, right up there with Hollywood. But I am loving the new season of AHS on FX so far!

[NJCher]

12. aw ratz

glad you came back and provided feedback after you finished it, though.

I'm gonna' try to finish it simply because I'm in NJ. I used to travel past that house all the time on my way to regular meetings I was attending at the time.

[nuxvomica]

8. It kept me watching but was ultimately unsatisfying

There's something the couple could have done early on to solve the mystery, the one thing every normal person would do in that situation, but they didn't do it until much later, by accident, and really didn't pursue it to a logical conclusion. As a mystery story, it's full of holes. And I don't like seeing animals harmed purely for shock value and without moving the plot forward in any justifiable way. A lot of talent was wasted on a hopelessly faulty plot. Interesting to see Mia Farrow, though.

[NJCher]

13. that's a great character part for her

I actually know someone here who looks and acts like her--lives in an upper income town out in Morris County. Talks about trees the same way and funniest of all, dresses like that.

In my first post on this thread I comment about how the characters do bear a resemblance to what you would find in NJ.

[beaglelover]

17. I grew up in Morris County. Beautiful country.

In a recent interview with Ryan Murphy and Mia Farrow, he mentioned that he wrote a specific part for her in the first American Horror Story, but she turned him down. I doubt it was the part that Jessica Lange played, so I have to believe it was the part of the older housekeeper, played by Frances Conroy. I could definitely see Mia in that role.

[mnhtnbb]

18. Me, too. Lived in Chatham Township

From the mid '50's to 1965 when my dad retired and we moved to California. Madison, Morristown, Summit were all very pretty small towns.

We watched the entire series while at the beach here in NC two weeks ago.

[beaglelover]

19. I grew up in Mendham Township.

Moved out to Los Angeles in 1988 about 2 years after graduating college to be with my boyfriend at the time. Fell into a career here and have stayed ever since. Hopefully retiring in a couple years and moving to the Palm Springs area. My Mom and 2 sisters are still back in NJ so I do go back to visit.

[doc03]

9. I watched it, I thought it was pretty good. Sure beats watching Ancient Aliens

for the 10th time or political bs.

[patricia92243]

14. Because I knew the real story, I really just could not get interested in the long story.

[NJCher]

15. no one has commented on...

The woman private eye he hires! I'm so impressed with her performance. She captivated me right away with her carefully enunciated speech and her accent. I was unfamiliar with her, so I looked her up. Here's a little bit about her:

snip
Noma Dumezweni (born 28 July 1969) is a British actress. In 2006, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her performance as Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.



If you read her bio, she has had quite the acting career.

I do agree that this story is ludicrous. So many times I think I'm not going to finish it, but because it took place in NJ, not too far from me, I will finish it. It has its moments when it's not too bad, but overall, absolutely stupid plot line, nothing in the least believable.

[beaglelover]

16. I was hoping they would explain why she was always wearing gloves. But they never did. Or I

missed it.

[nuxvomica]

21. She was very good

Sometimes it's a solid performance that keeps you watching and every scene she was in was a treat.

[milestogo]

20. Finished it and I will never get those wasted hours back.

[NJCher]

22. well, you could look at it that way

As I said upthread, horrible movie. But not a total waste for me because I discovered Noma Dumezweni. Now I can look up her other performances.

This movie seemed like it was put together by committee and the committees did not necessarily talk with each other. The story line was disjointed and lacked common sense. The fact that they worked in the List murders made me want to

The movie had some good actors who are no doubt embarrassed by what a disaster this thing turned out to be.

But it had its moments where I was amused, like when the fishlips realtor got the house and ended up running away from it and down the road.