Is 'The Watcher' a True Story? A Closer Look at the History of the New Jersey's House
When the ominous story of "The Watcher" went viral in a 2018 article published by The Cut, it was only a matter of time before it was retold by Hollywood.
Now, Netflix released the new seven-part series The Watcher, a thriller straight out of the suburbs about the Brannock family, who, upon moving into what is supposed to be their dream home, start getting ominous letters from someone who calls themselves "The Watcher" — and that's only the beginning.
Starring Bobby Cannavale, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Coolidge, Mia Farrow and more, what makes this new series even scarier is that it is based on a true story.
Is The Watcher based on a true story?
Netflix's new show gives viewers a slightly-adapted version of the real-life Broaddaus family and the frightening events that plagued their life from 2014 to 2019. According to The Cut, back in 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus bought the six-bedroom home at 657 Boulevard for $1.3 million. The couple planned to live there with their three children in Westfield, New Jersey. But what started out as a dream purchase soon turned into a nightmare when the homeowners started receiving creepy letters from someone who called themselves "The Watcher."
The first letter came in June 2014 while the couple was doing home renovations. It was addressed simply to "The New Owner." It read:
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.
The couple originally reached out to the previous homeowners, John and Andrea Woods, about the letter they received, and although the previous owners had also received a similar note a few days before moving out, they thought nothing of it. The Broaddus' originally had the same thought until they continued receiving more letters — four to be exact.
With each letter, "The Watcher" knew more details about the new family living at 657 Boulevard. The second letter Derek and Maria received included their names and the names, nicknames and other personal information about their children.
Other portions of letters included things like, "I see already that you have flooded 657 Boulevard with contractors so that you can destroy the house as it was supposed to be. Tsk, tsk, tsk … bad move. You don’t want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy."
Another part read, "Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Better for me. Was your old house too small for the growing family? Or was it greed to bring me your children? Once I know their names I will call to them and draw them too [sic] me."
Although the family did their best to ignore it, the letters continued to arrive, and they even had to go as far as to get the police involved. However, the investigation behind the mysterious letters stalled quickly by the end of 2014 and to this day "The Watcher" has never been identified.
Derek and Maria Broaddus never actually ended up moving into the house. They were so frightened by the events they moved in with Maria's parents instead and later bought a second home as they continued paying for 657 Boulevard.
Despite deciding to put the home on the market six months after receiving the letters, because of all the rumors behind the mysterious house and letters, it wasn't until 2019 that the couple was finally able to sell it for $400,000.
No word on if the show will keep the case unsolved like in real-life or put their own twist on it. One thing is clear. If the story doesn't scare you enough just reading about it, the trailer, which is appropriately set to "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton-John through jump scares and quotes like "If you care about your family you are going to get out of that house," and "I've never felt more unsafe in my life," absolutely will.
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