Who's Watching makes you wonder who's lurking in the shadows
- Kazdyn Pierce
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Who's Watching is the latest entry from horror director Tim Kasher, and it follows the making of a homemade documentary from the resident weirdo Caleb (Zachary Ray Sherman), who decides to start intensely stalking Krista (Gracie Gillam), a superior at work who was briefly kind to him. As the stalking continues, it ramps up in both frequency and fervor, leading Caleb to truly infiltrate every corner of her life. As others notice, and Caleb's life descends into madness, built around his obsession, he starts to realize he may have bitten off a little more than he could chew.
There are so many subgenres in horror, from animal attacks to possession to slasher, so many options you can use as a vehicle to scare people. Many of these genres have been so carved out and exhausted, there is little left to be able to create originally. This is why I love when filmmakers get their hands dirty and start blending these genres together to create something new entirely. Tim Kasher does exactly that with his new film Who's Watching. It takes found footage to a new level, as it blends it with a stalker POV film that makes everything feel disturbingly real. It places the viewer in a liminal space where they are watching a character make a very upsetting 'documentary' in a movie, a bit of movie-inception if you will. It feels grimy and dirty to essentially be Caleb, a man who is resorting to all sorts of disgusting tactics to get close to his paramour. You are experiencing this through his eyes, and it creates an unpleasant bond between the viewer and the antagonist. This is nothing new on its own, as we have seen films like Creep do similar things to an extent. However, a little over halfway into the film, there is a twist that completely levels expectations and changes the dynamics of the entire situation. It elevates this film from a well done found footage with a high creep factor, to a completely original wild ride with the most satisfying of endings.
Kasher really won me over here with his directorial finesse. The pacing, the structure, and the tonal shifts in this film could easily spell disaster in so many ways but this was handled with surgical precision and the non-linear way everything was explained felt so refreshing as it unfolded. I could have used a little more development of both of the female characters throughout, as so much is focused on Caleb and his night crawling antics but admittedly this is when the film is the most exciting. This was a revelatory performance by Zachary Ray Sherman. He got absolutely lost in this role and was so convincing as this character who is slowly descending into mania. I love how much of his social interaction was done while he was behind the camera forcing him to act using the motions of the camera itself and his voice, and it worked. He still embodied that creepiness even when he was off screen. Gracie Gillam and Olivia Luccardi also turn in really nice performances that serve as a foil to Shermans.
Who's Watching really blends so many fun subgenres and creates something that feels intensely fresh and exciting. Kasher has a voice that makes me truly wonder where he will go next but I know I will be there to find out. You can watch this on streaming beginning September 18. Don't miss out on this absolute blast of a film.
Comments