The show that has taken over the number one spot is also terrifying viewers.
After weeks of non-stop Jeffrey Dahmer-related headlines, the series about the serial killer has finally been dethroned from the top spot on Netflix and been replaced by another true-crime show.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was released on 21 September and set social media alight.
From the initial horror of the killer’s cannibalistic crime spree, to Evan Peters’ portrayal of Dahmer, to the streaming service categorising it under LGBTQ+, the show was never out of the news.
However, now it is The Watcher that has everyone talking.
From the creators of Monster, Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy, the new series stars Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts and is based on a true story.
Released on Thursday, The Watcher tells the chilling tale of a suburban family, the Brannocks, who start to receive letters from an anonymous stalker who has been “obsessed” with their house for decades.
In the letters, the unknown writer claims the house has been “the subject of [his] family for decades now” and that he has been in charge of “watching and waiting for its second coming”.
The arrival of the letters causes the family’s life to spiral into a “living hell”.
“Ominous letters from someone calling themself ‘The Watcher’ are just the beginning as the neighborhood’s sinister secrets come spilling out. Inspired by the true story of the infamous ‘Watcher’ house in New Jersey,” a Netflix synopsis reads.
The series is based on that of Derek and Maria Broaddus which was reported in The Cut. The couple brought a six-bedroom house in Westfield, New Jersey, for $1.3m in June 2014, before being terrorised through letters.
The first letter read: “My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out.”
What really tipped the Brannocks’ over the edge was the intimate knowledge The Watcher possessed of their family, which they could have only learned from overhearing the family’s personal conversations.
“Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Better for me,” the letter also said.
“Was your old house too small for the growing family? Or was it greed to bring me your children? Once I know their names I will call to them and draw them too [sic] me.”
A later letter read: “All of the windows and doors in 657 Boulevard allow me to watch you and track you as you move through the house. Who am I? I am the Watcher and have been in control of 657 Boulevard for the better part of two decades now… I pass by many times a day.”
Providing some early feedback on the Netflix series, one viewer tweeted, “Watching The Watcher as if I’m not home alone most nights and already constantly feel like someone’s watching me.”
watching the watcher as if im not home alone most nights and already constantly feel like someone's watching me
— Elijah (@takodaaa_) October 13, 2022
Another echoed those sentiments: “The Watcher is really creepy,” before adding, “Now I’m scared to be alone in my house. Everything feels so creepy, I don’t wanna be alone.”
While some other viewers had a slightly different take.
I'm about to start watching The Watcher on Netflix. Haunted House genre really stresses me out but not because of the ghosts, but because these people always put all their savings into the house and then are left with nothing. As an adult – this is stressful af lol
— dr. a / 张艺兴的한국서 🐑🐑🐑 (@academicsheep) October 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/vorianmuaddib/status/1581058438649421825
https://twitter.com/sendmeforgetme1/status/1580764973638172672
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