Watcher ending explained: Does Julia kill the Spider?

Watcher is a psychological thriller film written and directed by Chloe Okuno. The film is based on an original screenplay by Zack Ford and marks Okuno's debut as a feature film director.

The film tells a terrifying tale of physical and psychological isolation as a struggling actress, Julia, is stalked by a serial killer in Romania. Julia doesn't speak the language or understand the culture of her new home, and her partner is mostly indifferent to her concerns about being watched. The official synopsis of the Watcher, as per Rotten Tomatoes reads:

"As a serial killer stalks the city, a young actress who just moved to town with her boyfriend notices a mysterious stranger watching her from across the street in this terrifying thriller."

Watcher premiered on January 21, 2022, at the Sundance Film Festival and got a theatrical release in the United States on June 3, 2022. It stars Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, and Burn Gorman in prominent roles. It was made available on Netflix on February 25, 2025.

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Julia feels isolated and lonely in Bucharest, Romania

Watcher stars Maika Monroe as Julia, an American expat who recently moved to Bucharest with her boyfriend Francis, played by Karl Glusman. Julia is a struggling actress facing a career crisis, whereas Francis is pretty well-settled at his job.

What should've been a time of contemplation and relaxation for Julia became an isolating experience as she found herself feeling like an alien in Romania. As soon as she arrived in the city, the cab driver made a remark about her, which she didn't even understand. But it made Francis furious at the driver.

Being so far from her home and previous job, Julia felt lost and unable to communicate with her boyfriend's new coworkers in their language. Soon the news of a serial killer, The Spider, who murdered young ladies in Bucharest and then chopped off their heads frightened her. The reason for her worry was a strange man from the next building who would constantly watch her from his window.

Initially, Julia did not think much of this situation, but as the man continued his creepy behavior, she became concerned and scared for her safety as a serial killer was on the loose.

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The Spider was actually stalking Julia in Watcher

When Francis went to the office, Julia would kill her boredom by trying to learn Romanian and walking around the city. However, the constant fear of being stalked and watched crippled her into an unnerving state of dread. Things got worse when the news of a woman living nearby being murdered surfaced, and a survivor woman told the media about constantly feeling watched before the attack.

After an unpleasant encounter with a creepy man at a supermarket, Julia shared her concerns about the man in the window with Francis. However, he did not take her seriously and dismissed her claim, saying that she was simply stressed and would be fine once she got familiar with her new environment.

One night, Julia waved to the man standing on the window of the next building, and to her horror, he waved back. With the confirmation that the man was indeed watching her, she called the cops. They went to see the man under suspicion, whose name was Daniel Weber. But to Julia's disappointment, the cops took no action.

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Julia kills The Spider in Watcher

Feeling isolated, scared, and paranoid, Julia tried to reverse the situation by following Daniel. She found that Daniel was a janitor at a strip club where her neighbor Irina was a dancer. That night, Julia heard strange noises from Irina's apartment and made the landlady open the door.

But there was only a missing cat there, potentially making all the noises. However, Julia, along with Irina's ex-boyfriend, went to confront Daniel but only found an old man there. Later, Daniel called the cops on her, making the situation extremely uncomfortable for her as Francis already undermined her concerns.

Later, Julia realized that she had had enough of the stalker and the dismissive people around her. She packed her bag and was ready to leave when she again heard noises coming from Irina's apartment. This time, she went in alone to check and was attacked by Daniel, who finally confessed to being the serial killer.

He also confessed to killing Irina the night she had entered the apartment with the landlady. Suddenly, Julia heard Francis arriving home, but before she could scream, Daniel slit her throat. As the blood gushed out of her, she crawled to Irina's drawer, where a gun was hidden, and shot the killer to death.

Watcher ends with Julia coming out of the apartment and staring right at Francis, who stands there in shock and horror.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on Watcher and other such films as the year unfolds.