• The cast manages to salvage the unsalvageable in this lousy predictable script
Starring: Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Isabel Gravitt, Luke David Blumm, Jennifer Coolidge, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Mia Farrow
Have you ever dreamt of living in a beautiful home in a green, leafy suburb? Well, be careful what you wish for…
For the Brannocks of Manhattan moving to 657 Boulevard in the quaint suburb of Westfield, New Jersey was a dream. A dream that turned into a nightmare very fast. Dean Brannock, his wife Nora and their two kids Ellie and Carter believe they have found the right house for them, which makes it worth the move from the hustle and bustle of the city. Although they are not wealthy, the Brannocks put all their money and investment into the house in Westfield.
The family spend a blissful first night in the house and wake up to the horror that would haunt them throughout their stay at the house. A letter from an anonymous person calling themselves “the watcher” arrives in the mailbox the next morning. The person in the letter welcomes the family into the neighbourhood and mentions each family member by name, stating that they will be watching them from here on out. The letter also talks about the history of the house and how the house holds many secrets.
Other than the letter, Dean has a bad run-in with the neighbours Mitch and his wife Maureen, a retired couple who sit out in the sun all day long, watching the neighbours. The other neighbours are an odd pair of elderly siblings. Pearl, a quirky, middle-aged woman, cares for her special needs brother Jasper, who loves to ride the Brannock’s dumbbell waiter (a mid-century type of elevator for food) and always breaks into the Brannocks home, scaring their children.
With the neighbours, the watcher and everything turning against them since they moved into the home, the Brannocks are tested to breaking point. Dean loses his mind trying to solve the case and even goes as far as hiring a private detective.
The show, although intended to be a thriller, comes off flimsy cute with its scary tactics that do not scare anyone. However, the intrigue surrounding the characters is what has made the show as popular as it is. Everyone in the story has a story that we are dying to know. We cannot help but ask, “Could they be The Watcher or what the hell is their problem?”
That said, the cast make this show successful. They are profoundly committed to their characters and manage to evade any telltale signs from showing on their faces. The casting is the best decision Ryan Murphy made because they manage to salvage the unsalvageable in this lousy predictable script.
The show is based on a real-life incident and adapted from an article that was published in the New Yorker in the early seventies.
Star rating: 3.5 stars