The camera crew of a home renovation show films an episode in
​a remote Eastern European village that sees them as intruders.

HORROR

They're Watching (2016)

Written and Directed by Micah Wright and Jay Lender

Starring Mia Marcon, David Alpay, Kris Lemche, Carrie Genzel, Brigid Brannagh, Dmitri Diatchenko, Cristian Balint

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Connor Eyzaguirre

March 16, 2018

8/10

I've seen my fair share of found footage movies, and usually they turn out to be a waste of time. Sure, occasionally you get a [Rec] or a Paranormal Activity, but considering how cheap it is to make a horror film this way, the bulk of the subgenre has been crap. That's why it's so refreshing to see a movie like They're Watching, which tries something new and utilizes the found footage technique in a creative way. I turned this one on thinking it was going to suck, and lo and behold, it was a gem. They're Watching has well-developed and likable characters, an intriguing remote setting, and accomplishes a masterfully done slow burn that pays off with a truly unpredictable and unforgettable ending.

The main characters are the camera crew for an American home improvement show that are doing a follow-up on a couple who bought a fixer-upper in a remote village in Moldova. From the beginning, you get a sense of unity among the locals as they stare at and shun the American outsiders. Throughout, there's mentioning of witch burnings happening in the village as recent as the 1910's. All of this is before things even get going, and the film does a good job of keeping us interested by layering the characters and building up the intrigue. Once the crew becomes trapped in the woods by the locals, the truth of why they were really brought there is revealed, and things get crazy really fast.

They're Watching and other films like it give me hope for the found footage subgenre. Talented filmmakers can make a good movie out of virtually nothing. All they need is their imagination and a camera. I enjoyed this movie way more than I ever thought I would. The horror genre is so bogged down in crap that it's really hard to find anything good. They're Watching is definitely one of the good ones.