It Watches

It Watches is an engrossing suspense-thriller film directed by Dave Parker and produced by Eric Woods. Released in 2016, the film features an exciting line-up of talent, including Ivan Djurovic, Rick Irwin, and Sanny van Heteren, who help bring this psychological drama to life. The plot’s heart-racing blend of suspense and mystery will quickly draw audiences into the tangled web of the film’s dramatic story, offering an ah-inspiring spectacle of cinematic storytelling.

It Watches opens with Andre (Ivan Djurovic), a man recovering from a recent car accident that severely injured him and left him with significant memory loss. Andre's friend Robert (Rick Irwin) offers him a place to stay for a few days - an isolated, high-tech bungalow outfitted with modern equipment, comfortably sitting on a hill with an expansive view of Los Angeles. The rural setting of the house introduces an uncanny sense of solitude, which distinctly contrasts with its proximity to the bustling cityscape.

Andre takes up on Robert’s offer, hoping the peaceful environment will facilitate his recovery and gradually help him regain his lost memories. However, it becomes clear this rejuvenating prospect will not be without its challenges. The hush of the house, the isolation, and the long nights begin to form eerie environments that start to play tricks with Andre's consciousness. His paranoia starts to grow, sensed by his girlfriend Mira, portrayed by Sanny Van Heteren, who begins to worry about his erratic behaviour.

Djurovic manages to carry the weight of his character's growing confusion and fear with a measured performance that balances between skepticism and terror. The audience quickly experiences Andre's sense of unease as he loses his grip on reality. Is it his traumatized mind playing games with him, or is there something genuinely dangerous lurking within the walls of his serene sanctuary? And what are the cryptic messages that he seems to receive at night?

The house’s latest technological gadgets add another layer to the story. Equipped with surveillance cameras and an advanced control system, the house unfolds as not just a passive setting, but almost like a character in its own right. This smart house seems to have a life of its own, fuelling Andre's paranoia. The idea of the boundary between man and machine, the question of who watches whom, becomes pivotal, giving the title “It Watches” a multifaceted twist.

Rick Irwin's character Robert adds a different flavor to the narrative. The friendship between Andre and Robert is tested in the confines of the house, with Irwin delivering a nerve-racking performance. The tension in the house amplifies as unexpected visitors arrive, propelling the narrative with unforeseen twists and turns.

Director Dave Parker craftily weaves the elements of suspense and thriller throughout the movie, gently tapping into the audience’s fears of isolation, technology, and the unknown. The direction and cinematography play with shadows and light, subtly adding to the escalating tension and apprehension—a hallmark of a well-executed thriller film.

Sanny van Heteren's role as Mira introduces a breath of normalcy amidst the brewing chaos - a fragment of the world outside Andre's memory and the gilded cage he finds himself in. Her concerns and attempts to navigate the situation drive home the reality of Andre's predicament.

With a plot that undulates from serene to sinister, the atmospheric tension in “It Watches” is unrelenting, prodding at the audience's curiosity, demanding their full attention. There is a sense of intelligent storytelling, where not everything is as it appears, daring the audience to piece the puzzle together. The narrative is tightly woven so that each turn, each disclosure, feeds into an increasingly suspenseful tapestry.

"It Watches" is a story about memory, paranoia, and the extent to which technology can both aid and inhibit human lives. It’s a classic suspense story embellished with a modern twist. Short, sharp, and disquietingly suspenseful, "It Watches" is one to add to the list for any psychological thriller aficionados.

In conclusion, Parker's film, "It Watches," manifests as a bone-chilling suspense-thriller, which successfully combines elements of traditional psychological terror with an unsettling examination of modern technology's role. The portrayal of multiple themes throughout the film, coupled with a strong cast, results in a chilling, intriguing, and captivating narrative sure to leave its audience in a cliff-hanging state of suspense.