10 Best Shows Like The Watcher You Need to Watch Next
The Watcher is a new Netflix Original series revolving around the terrifying true story of 657 Boulevard and the mysterious Watcher who kept sending the new owners malicious messages. They eventually managed to sell the home and move away, but the series spiced up the story for dramatic purposes.
It’s a cool, based-on-a-true-story series that’ll have you at the edge of your seat half of the time. If you watched it (pun intended) and liked it, I’ve prepared a great list of the ten best shows like The Watcher you need to watch next. The list is not ranked but rather in alphabetical order. Enjoy!
Black Bird (2022)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Country of origin: United States
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Language: English
Synopsis: “After Jimmy Keene is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison without parole, he cuts a deal with the FBI to enter maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend a suspected serial killer, Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser).
Keene’s job is to elicit a confession from Hall in order to slam the door on Hall’s appeal and find the buried bodies of as many as eighteen women. But is Hall a serial killer? Or a serial confessor?”
Why it’s like The Watcher: Black Bird is one of the best shows based on a true story I’ve watched recently. It covers the unsettling story of Jimmy Keen and Larry Hall – a guy trying to befriend a serial killer to get a confession out of him.
In The Watcher, the bad guy lurks outside, infiltrating your neighborhood. In Black Bird, though, you are the one who has to infiltrate the bad guy – locked up, on his turf, with no way out. It’s chilling but epic.
Watch the trailer here.
Candy (2022)
IMDb Rating: 7.2 /10
Country of origin: United States
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Language: English
Synopsis: “Candy Montgomery is a 1980s housewife and mother who did everything right – but when the pressure of conformity builds within her, her actions scream for just a bit of freedom. Until someone tells her to shush. With deadly results.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: Like The Watcher, Candy is a true story set in a seemingly quiet, calm, suburban neighborhood. Sometimes, those who you think would never, ever commit a crime are actually the worst criminals out there. Candy was a rollercoaster ride, and the true story is just as bone-chilling as it is sad.
Watch the trailer here.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Country of origin: United States
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Language: English
Synopsis: “One of America’s most notorious serial killers, largely told from the point of view of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims, and dives deeply into the police incompetence and apathy that allowed the Wisconsin native to go on a multiyear killing spree. The series dramatizes at least 10 instances where Dahmer was almost apprehended but ultimately let go.
The series also is expected to touch on Dahmer, a clean-cut, good-looking guy who was repeatedly given a free pass by cops as well as by judges who were lenient when he had been charged with petty crimes.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: It’s one thing to have a neighborhood stalker, like in The Watcher. Another thing is to have one of the worst diabolical serial killers in history as your next-door neighbor. Like The Watcher, Dahmer – Monster is a Netflix original that’s based on a true story – and one of the best shows on this list because Evan Peters killed the role – pun intended.
Watch the trailer here.
Echoes (2022)
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Country of origin: United States, Australia
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Language: English
Synopsis: “Leni and Gina are identical twins who have secretly swapped their lives since they were children, culminating in a double life as adults, but one of the sisters goes missing and everything in their perfectly schemed world turns into chaos.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: Echoes is a unique story, but it has some strong similarities to The Watcher, apart from being another Netflix original. It shows how little we know about the people around us. I mean, the entire neighborhood had no idea the two sisters were living double lives.
The perspective is different, though. In The Watcher, it’s the tenants who are unaware of what’s going on in the neighborhood, whereas in Echoes, it’s the other way around.
Watch the trailer here.
Kleo (2022-)
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Country of origin: Germany
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Language: German
Synopsis: “After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a former spy killer is set free and embarks on a revenge spree against the people who conspired to betray her.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: Kleo is a German Netflix original that gave me strong Atomic Blonde vibes, from the music to the topic. It’s a cool show once you get over the language. So, why is it like The Watcher? Well, it’s like watching the show from the perspective of the stalker.
The main heroine, Kleo, hunts down unsuspecting victims – although they are far from innocent. And, although it’s not based on a true story like The Watcher, Kleo has many historical connotations, making it feel more real.
Watch the trailer here.
The Girl In The Mirror (Alma) (2022-)
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Country of origin: Spain
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Language: Spanish
Synopsis: “After surviving a bus crash that kills most of her classmates, Alma awakes with no memories of the incident or her past. Her parents seem like strangers and her home is a place filled with secrets and mystery.
She gets the growing suspicion that everyone around her is lying, trying to turn her into someone else. Trapped in a world that doesn’t feel her own, she must unravel the events that led to the accident before her true identity vanishes forever.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: Another foreign Netflix original series, The Girl in the Mirror, was originally titled Alma. As the main characters in The Watcher grow more and more suspicious about their entire neighborhood, Alma grows suspicious – of her entire life, even her family. It’s a nice story with several epic twists, and I’ll be happy to see where it goes.
Watch the trailer here.
The Innocent (El Inocente) (2021)
IMDb Rating:
Country of origin: Spain
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Language: Spanish
Synopsis: “Mateo Vidal is jailed for negligent homicide for 4 years and when he is released, he makes a living with his beloved Olivia. Once their life has stabilized, a phone call will change everything in the couple, the past leaves no one behind, and many secrets will force them to try to prove their innocence.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: The notion of not knowing who you’re living with and who you’re surrounded with is strong in this show. The Spanish Netflix original is, in my opinion, one of the best shows Netflix has to offer. The storyline is quite different from The Watcher, but the twists and turns will leave you speechless in the end. Highly recommended!
Watch the trailer here.
The Outsider (2020)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Country of origin: United States
Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Language: English
Synopsis: “The Outsider begins with a seemingly-straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy. But when an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything in which they believe.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: Just like The Watcher, there’s a lurker in the neighborhood that watches over its tenants, lurking in the dark. Here, it might be something more sinister – supernatural, even – but the eerie vibes and the constant feeling of being watched is overwhelming. The Outsider is based on a novel of the same name by Stephen King.
I expected a better ending, but overall, it was a great show that I’m sure thriller fans will enjoy.
Watch the trailer here.
The Patient (2022)
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Country of origin: United States
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Language: English
Synopsis: “A psychotherapist who finds himself being held captive by a serial killer with an unusual request: curb his homicidal urges. As the therapist unravels this man’s mind, he also has to deal with his own repressed troubles, creating a journey that’s just as treacherous as his imprisonment.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: In The Watcher, the villain lurks and harasses people on their own turf – in their own home. Well, in The Patient, the villain takes you to his own turf – in his own home. The story is just epic, and I loved how maturely Steve Carell performed in this series. It’s definitely worth the watch, and I strongly recommend you put this show on your “to watch” list.
Watch the trailer here.
You (2018-)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Country of origin: United States
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Language: English
Synopsis: “Based on Caroline Kepnes’ best-selling novel of the same name, YOU is a 21st century love story that asks, “What would you do for love?” When a brilliant bookstore manager crosses paths with an aspiring writer, his answer becomes clear: anything.
Using the internet and social media as his tools to gather the most intimate of details and get close to her, a charming and awkward crush quickly becomes obsession as he quietly and strategically removes every obstacle – and person – in his way.”
Why it’s like The Watcher: It’s not a true story but rather based on a best-selling novel, but You just had to find its place on the list. The Netflix original is the epitome of not knowing what kind of evil lives next door. Joe is kind, sweet, and loving towards everyone – hiding a dark secret.
Like the Watcher lurks over the tenants of 657 Boulevard, Joe lurks over unsuspecting women he finds himself obsessed with. Every season brings something new – something epic – to the table. I can’t wait to see where Season 4 takes us, coming out next February.
Watch the trailer here.