The full trailer for the upcoming Netflix horror series The Watcher has been released. Led by Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale as Maria and Derek Brannock, the show follows a couple as they move into what they believe to be their suburban dream home. But that quickly changes when they start to receive ominous letters from an anonymous sender that is known only as 'the watcher.' Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, who have collaborated on several past projects, the cast also includes Mia Farrow, Noma Dumezweni, Richard Kind, Margo Martindale, and Jennifer Coolidge.
A previous teaser for The Watcher leaned more into the show's humorous side, highlighting Coolidge's real estate agent, Kaen Calhoun, as she struggles to sell the unsettling property. She even slips up a few times, mentioning the presence of weird neighbors and the need to keep the curtains closed. But as the limited series prepares to make its debut in time for spooky season, a much more tonally scary trailer has been unveiled to entice audiences.
As part of Netflix's Netflix's 2022 TUDUM fan event, the full trailer for The Watcher was premiered by the streaming giant. In it, the Brannocks have spent $3.2 million on their perfect home. Though they believe it to be their ideal location, tucked away in a wealthy New Jersey suburb, the trailer gradually — and then all at once — shows how their lives have become a living nightmare. They don't know who to trust or what to do. And even Karen, who seemed so cheerful in the teaser, is shown to be rattled. Check out the trailer for the limited series, which premieres October 13, below.
Is The Watcher Based On A True Story?
If the premise of The Watcher sounds familiar, that might be because it's adapted from an article in The Cut that went viral a few years ago. In the real version, Maria and Derek Broaddus (renamed for the series), relocate and soon begin to receive a torrent of handwritten notes. These notes are alleged to be from the house's decades-long guardian, who isn't exactly happy with the arrival of new people. It's something that the trailer for The Watcher highlights, as well. The letter writer was never identified.
It's unclear how much of the real-life story the Netflix drama will change when it debuts in a matter of weeks. By now, for better or worse, Murphy has come to be known for a certain style of campy frights that has defined the American Horror Story franchise. Whether or not he brings the same qualities to The Watcher, and whether that proves to be another success, remains to be seen. But given the stacked roster of actors and the viral nature of the real-world story, the adaptation definitely has the potential to deliver the scares next month.