The Watcher looks set to be Netflix‘s next big true crime drama, but star Mia Farrow hopes one group of people steer clear of the new series: the family who inspired it.
The story follows a couple who buy an extravagant home in a picturesque neighbourhood, hoping to create a better life for their two children.
However, soon after moving in, they start receiving threatening letters from an anonymous figure who refers to themselves only as ‘The Watcher‘, which sends their life spiralling out of control.
Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale play couple Nora and Dean Brannock, based on real-life victims Maria and Derek Broaddus, while Farrow portrays an eccentric neighbour suspected of mailing the letters.
“I’m really sorry for that family because they were embracing the American Dream, presumably,” she told RadioTimes.com.
“In your own home, which is supposed to be the safest place; your hearth, your heart, your comfort, your children, all of those things were taken away in the scariest way and I’m really sorry for that.”
However, Farrow went on to say that the real-life story, which was comprehensively detailed in a piece by New York Magazine, was really only a starting point for the new series from Ryan Murphy.
The prolific showrunner, whose other genre work includes Netflix’s Dahmer and American Crime Story, has veered away from the facts in some areas to put his own stamp on this strange suburban saga.
“[It was] a very different experience for us because we were only the actors and Ryan had created very different details,” said Farrow. “I don’t know if my character existed in the lives of those people.
“That storyline covered the basic outline… but the details are Ryan Murphy. So, I don’t know who the family was. I don’t know if I ever knew. But I’m sorry for them and everything. Hopefully they don’t see the series.”
When Farrow asked whether she should “feel guilty” about having so much fun filming The Watcher, amid discussion about the impact of true crime drama on victims, co-star Margo Martindale assured her “it’s OK”.
“I feel great about it. I enjoyed every moment of doing it,” added Martindale.
The Watcher is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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