Netflix True Story Thriller The Watcher Is UNSOLVED

SPOILER! Watching The Watcher on Netflix makes me think this true story could have taken place in New England! What? Back up a minute! This is a true story? Yes, the Netflix true story thriller The Watcher Is UNSOLVED. That means the perp is still out there.

The Watcher is your typical thriller. Family buys a beautiful, but older home in New Jersey. But is soon goes dark when the envy of friends and family shows it's dark side. The usual REALLY weird stuff begins to happen.  The family becomes divided against each other. We begin to suspect the creepy neighbors are involved. Did I mention the secret tunnel? Oh..and of course the over-worked husband could be cheating, but is he? The teenage daughter gets involved with the young security alarm guy. Is HE The Watcher?  Is it the father? Could it be the real estate agent?

All of the above sounds like your typical Hollywood thriller, with one small exception. It's a TRUE STORY!!!

The Watcher is based on a real life story. According to New York Magazine's The Cut: 

In November 2018, New York Magazine published “The Watcher,” which chronicled a New Jersey family being stalked by a mysterious, threatening letter writer. The article, by Reeves Wiedeman, is the basis of an new Netflix limited series created by Ryan Murphy. Read an update on the case here.

Are we creeped out yet? Here's an excerpt of an actual letter, from New York Magazine:

657 Boulevard has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming. My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out.

Seems like it's true. The Netflix true story thriller The Watcher Is unsolved. Even though you know the ending, the series is worth a watch to see HOW The Watcher works his or her dark magic.

Maybe YOU are The Watcher?

13 is an unlucky number. So I thought it'd be appropriate for me to set off and find 13 spooktacular movies to watch which are based right here in Massachusetts. So pop up your popcorn, call your biggest fraidy-cat friend over, and let's get some hometown Bay State scares going!

The real-life story of Cape Cod.

I ain't goin' in those woods.

The real-life story of Salem.

Salem: The Sequel.

Bugs in mouth = no bueno.

Pro-Tip: Never hold hands with a ghost.

The projectile vomit though...

"A Game-Changing Horror." -The Vulture

Leonardo Dicaprio has a pleasant face. The dude with the staples, not so much...

Stop-motion goodness!

That was my house for a portion of my life. I didn't sleep much during that portion.

Campy goodness!

It's kind of like really gross & spooky marionettes!

Each and every state in the union has its "most haunted house." So let's take a look inside the most haunted houses in New England.

Of all places, House Beautiful was the place that this conversation started. They put together The Most Haunted Houses in Every State (and Their Horrifying Back Stories), which of course got me thinking about and looking into their New England selections. As they put it: "Fabricated haunted houses have nothing on the real ones. If you love a spine-chilling tale and are considering exploring an actual haunted house near you, you're in the right place."

I was excited to dig into their piece, as I recently put together this list of The 12 Most Haunted Places in Massachusetts. I wondered to myself if the House Beautiful pick for Massachusetts would be something that landed on my list. Or, maybe it would be a house from the one of the ghostliest cities in Massachusetts. And then I got thinking about Maine. Would their Maine selection have a Stephen King overlap? Or would any of the haunted houses on the list have any sort of horror movie tie-ins? These are the questions that keep me up at night. These, and things that go bump in the night, of course.

So let's open those creaky front doors with the stained-glass window panels. Or should we enter the house through the rotting wooden bulkhead that leads to the cobwebbed cellar? Pick your poison. We'll start here in Massachusetts, then move up through Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Then we'll circle back down to Rhode Island and Connecticut. And after the tour is over, check out my list of rock stars reimagined as horror movie villains, created with AI. It is October, after all.

Lizzie Borden House, Fall River: Was there any question this house of horrors would represent the Commonwealth?

Captain Lord Mansion, Kennebunkport: It's a Bed and Breakfast now, so you get to pay to get yourself spooked.

The Ocean-Born Mary House, Henniker: You know if it gets a segment on Chronicle it's legit.

Bowman House-Laurel Hall, Shrewsbury: If I died of typhoid, I'd come back and haunt your asses, too.

Sprague Mansion, Cranston: The place is rotten with orbs, so you know it's haunted as hell.

New London Ledge Lighthouse, Groton: Boasts a ghost named "Ernie." C'mon, how scary can a ghost be if its name is Ernie?

Last week, it was The 12 Most Haunted Places in Massachusetts. This week, it's the Ghostliest City in Massachusetts.

Or, rather, The Ghostliest Cities in Massachusetts. This all comes from a recent BetMassachusetts piece that lays out the Cities with Most Ghost Sightings in State of Massachusetts. The number-crunchers over there took a break from sports betting odds and instead laid out the odds of you seeing a ghost in Massachusetts. As they put it: "The odds of you seeing a ghost in Massachusetts are actually better than the odds of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl." Their words, not mine. Although, I have to say I agree.

We'll dive into the Commonwealth's Ghostliest Cities below, but the big surprise is that Salem doesn't top or even make the list. That honor goes to Lowell. So, how did that happen? BetMassachusetts dug into the data over at GhostsofAmerica.com, that's how. And the data said your chances of sighting a spook in Lowell are actually higher than grabbing a ghoul in the Witch City. Go figure. Think about it: if word about this gets out, Lowell might start copping some of those big October tourist bucks that Salem rakes in every Halloween season. Witch City Part Two: Mill City.

So you already have the city that leads the list: Lowell. So how far back is Salem? And who else made the list? And if my city or town is on the list, does that mean my house could be haunted? Or maybe it's haunted right now? All of these questions (except that last two) will be answered. Just scroll on. And yeah, if your city did make the list, maybe leave a light on in the hallway at night. And check under the bed before you go to sleep tonight.

Lowell is chock-full of ghosts, perhaps none more famous that Witch Bonney at the Lowell Cemetery.

The Bristol County Jailhouse and New Bedford Armory have had their fair share of ghost sightings over the years.

Actual haunted houses? And investigations? In North Attleboro? Yup.

Maybe because of its proximity to Dana?

So haunted they have their own YouTube channel.

Hey, it made MassLive's Top 5 a few years back.

Three words: Danvers State Hospital.

Because it's waaay too close to the Triangle.

You can't sit here and tell me Kings Castleland isn't haunted.

The Wheeler Mansion? Positively oozing with ghosts.