REVIEW: Found Footage Indie Film, Who’s Watching, Advanced Screening in the Catskills
08/20 @ Community Theater, Catskill
“Settled among the shops and businesses of gorgeous Catskill, the Community Theater was a perfect place to hunker down through the tense, nerve inducing screening.”
One of the best ways to watch a movie is when it’s raining out. When the sky is dreary and grey and even in the middle of summer there’s no reason to be outside. This was the setting that greeted me when I drove down to Catskill’s Community Theater for an advanced screening of the indie thriller film, Who’s Watching.
Who’s Watching is the full length debut from musician Tim Kasher. Kasher, who has come to the Capital Region as part of Omaha rock band Cursive, has been taking his stalker-horror film on the road, debuting it to audiences across the country. Each screening starts with a short acoustic set from Kasher and after the movie, a Q&A with him as the director and writer. Settled among the shops and businesses of gorgeous Catskill, the Community Theater was a perfect place to hunker down through the tense, nerve-inducing screening.
Who’s Watching follows Caleb, an off-putting office worker, as he develops an obsession with his new manager, Krista. He films her, most often without her consent, to gather footage for his “documentary.” Throughout the movie, there is a dread that sits deep in you, knowing that Krista is being followed and watched and all we, the viewer, can do is participate in Caleb’s voyeurism. While filmed in a purposefully shaky “found footage” style, Who’s Watching successfully creates a kind of tension that makes you clench your teeth and want to call out to Krista, letting her know what is going on around her.
I’m a fan of horror and thriller movies, especially found footage ones. The style of filming has been used hundreds of times now since movies like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield popularized it years ago. Despite that, Who’s Watching doesn’t feel like a simple addition to the style. It’s a showcase in how point of view and editing can skew how the world is seen and understood. We as an audience are seeing what Caleb wants us to see, not how things really are. The tension Kasher creates in the film with the writing, directing, and even the score he helped create, is palpable and reaches a climax I personally wasn’t expecting but was delighted by. The moment I left the Community Theater, I told everyone I knew who liked horror about this film and what felt so special about it.
Seeing Who’s Watching was a special occasion, and not just because it was a stellar movie. Getting to attend an advanced screening in a small, indie theater where my ticket price goes directly to the creator and the theater was such a special part of the experience. The Q&A portion of the event, led by Alex Ross Perry, allowed for an even deeper understanding of the film. I’m so happy that the Community Theater was able to host this screening of Who’s Watching and allow for even more indie art and film to be seen in the Capital Region. Places like this are so special to the development of art and I personally will be keeping up with the Community Theater to see what indie and small showings they have in the future.
Find Tim Kasher on Instagram at @timkasher. Who’s Watching debuts on streaming on September 18. You can find more information about Who’s Watching on Dark Sky’s website at darkskyfilms.com/film/whos-watching/.
