Maika Monroe's Most Chilling Movie Isn't It Follows Or Longlegs But This 2022 Thriller

Although she is a very versatile and talented actor, when people think of Maika Monroe, their minds usually go to her biggest hits, which are scary movies. The most notable films starring Monroe are 2015's It Follows and 2023's Longlegs, which were both appreciated by critics and watched by fans of the genre. It has led to her being labeled as a scream queen, especially since those are two of the best films in the genre released in the past decade or so.

Those are far from the only horror movies in Maika Monroe's filmography, so that makes it especially difficult to pick out her scariest or most chilling project. Interestingly, you'd have to look beyond the horror genre to find the most unsettling film starring the actor. That's telling considering that It Follows and Longlegs are so highly regarded and Longlegs is the kind of movie that makes you squirm for its entire runtime.

Still, it's a thriller from 2022 where you'll likely be more scared than any other Maika Monroe film. This movie doesn't include anything supernatural or feature any monsters to hide from. Instead, it relies on the kind of thing that makes everyday people scared and it uses that to tell a terrifying story.

Watcher Is Terrifying Despite Not Being A Horror Movie

Watcher is a thriller that will chill you to the core because the premise is something that almost anyone can relate to. Directed by Chloe Okuno in her feature debut and written by Zack Ford, Watcher centers on Julia (Monroe), who moves to Bucharest with her boyfriend when he lands a new job. It's a new start for her, but she doesn't know anybody in the country, so a sense of loneliness surrounds her at all times.

The couple lives in a tall building and one night, while home alone, she notices someone seemingly staring at her from the building across the street. From there, she starts to sense something dangerous coming from this person, including when she's out in public. All alone, she has nobody really to turn to and the psychological damage done is tough to compound. The fact that people don't seem to believe her adds to the intrigue. The most interesting bit is also how you'll feel as a viewer. Is Julia truly in trouble or is she imagining it?

What makes Watcher so chilling is how it's a scenario that anyone could find themselves in. It Follows has a supernatural element regarding a curse that gets placed on people, while Longlegs sees Monroe play a detective who is caught up in a dangerous world. But in Watcher, she's an everyday person who finds herself getting stalked, which is an all too realistic thing that can and does happen to many people. It's the kind of movie that makes your skin crawl and will have you wanting to avoid looking at other people's windows.

Reviews For Watcher Were Great

Not only is Watcher something that will scare you, but it's also actually a great movie. Reviews for the film were especially strong, with it holding an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also received three stars out of a possible four from acclaimed critic, Roger Ebert. There aren't many horror movies that can hit that level, especially when many films in the genre aren't beloved by critics and are more popular with everyday audience members.

The consensus among critics suggests that although there aren't a ton of surprises, the film is carried by two aspects. First, there's the fantastic work by Okuno, who showcased incredible potential in her debut feature. We should all be excited about her next film, a gothic horror titled Brides. The other standout aspect of Watcher was Monroe herself, who delivers a tremendous performance as Julia. It's some of the best work of her career, which is saying something given her history.

Maika Monroe Is A Modern Scream Queen

The term scream queen is often associated with the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween and Prom Night, Neve Campbell in Scream, and Janet Leigh in Psycho and The Fog. With the rise of some great modern horror movies has also come a new batch of scream queens who are as good as it gets. Anya Taylor-Joy in The Witch and The Menu, Jenna Ortega in X and Scream, Mia Goth in Pearl and X, and Samara Weaving for Scream VI and Ready or Not, just to name a few.

Maika Monroe is in that category of modern scream queens thanks to some of her best work. It Follows is considered one of the best horror movies of the 2010s, with a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Monroe is the protagonist, Jamie. She doubles as a scream queen and a final girl in the movie. There's also Tau, which is an underrated sci-fi horror movie that went straight to Netflix and again sees her play the lead role. She also appears in the horror comedy Villains, adding to her impressive resume.

Monroe went on to appear in less heralded but still quality horror movies like Significant Other and thrillers like the remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Longlegs put her back in the spotlight, as it was a pretty solid hit when it arrived on streaming services. You can even find her in unexpected places, like a short film titled Resident Evil Requiem: Evil Has Always Had a Name that leans into the horror elements that made the game series so special.

She's also not done with the genre, as Monroe is slated to return to It Follows for a sequel titled They Follow. All that's known is that it's set a decade after the original, though filming has been delayed due to scheduling conflicts. Monroe will also star in this year's Victorian Psycho, yet another horror movie that puts her at the center and teams her up with Thomasin McKenzie, who is starting to carve out a niche as a scream queen of her own. As good as those movies may end up being, it'll be hard to be more chilling than Watcher.