Review of The Watcher (2000) by Daftkitty — 03 Jun 2006

Best in Show: James Spader.

One for the future: James Spader.

Stand-out scene: Final confrontation.

Brainer or no-brainer: No brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: One.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

Serial killer movies are ten a penny these days and a movie has to be really special to stand out amongst the crowd. This offering unfortunately brings nothing new to the genre and trots out many of the established cliches regarding the cat and mouse relationship between the chased and the chaser.

Having verbally agreed to appear in the movie for Scale, Reeves was somewhat dismayed (as much as a multi-millionaire can be, I suppose) that the project was granted a bigger budget than expected and that both James Spader and Marisa Tomei were brought on board with bigger pay packets. He completed the movie on the understanding that he would take third billing and abstain from the promotional junkets surrounding the movie. The end result is a passable if at times fairly dumb thriller in which killer Keanu Reeves follows his police pursuer Joel Campbell (James Spader) when he relocates to another city because of the stress of following the case. Addicted to painkillers and living a threadbare existence, Campbell resolves to put his life back in order and see the case through when the killings recommence and his shrink (Marisa Tomei) gets embroiled in the plot. Joe Charbanic hasn't directed another film since this 2000 offering and the movie's dismal box office performance was warranted. The Oscar-winning Marisa Tomei is once again punching below her weight and James Spader's the only major cast member who emerges with their reputation intact.