Netflix’s ‘The Watcher’ Series Is Based on a Horrifying True Story
Horror movies and shows rule the month of October and fans of the genre wait all year to bask in the glow of all things scary. The upcoming Netflix series The Watcher arrived on the streamer on Oct. 13, 2022. Starring Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale, the series dives into the terrifying true story of an anonymous person terrifying a family so much they were forced to move.
A New York Times article inspired the Netflix’s ‘The Watcher’ series
In 2018, the New York Times published an article detailing the horrific events surrounding a particular house in Westfield, New Jersey. Derek and Maria Broaddus closed on their new home in 2014, but the excitement of the new purchase quickly wore off. One day during renovations, Derek checked the mail to find an anonymous letter in the mailbox. It read:
“Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard,
Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood. 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.
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.
Who am I? There are hundreds and hundreds of cars that drive by 657 Boulevard each day. Maybe I am in one. Look at all the windows you can see from 657 Boulevard. Maybe I am in one. Look out any of the many windows in 657 Boulevard at all the people who stroll by each day. Maybe I am one.
Welcome my friends, welcome. Let the party begin —
The Watcher.”
via New York Times
The letter also chastised the family for renovating the home. All in all, the letter accomplished what it intended, and the Broadusses were decidedly alarmed. Six months later, the family put their house on the market but couldn’t sell it. They chose to rent it for several years until they could finally sell it at a $400,000 loss.
The worst part of all of this? Authorities have yet to identify the person calling him or herself The Watcher.
What is the address for ‘The Watcher’ house?
The Watcher house still stands in Westfield, and while Derek submitted an application to divide the lot in two with hopes of selling it to a developer, that hasn’t happened. A neighbor across the street hated the idea and hired a lawyer to fight the application. The house remains at 657 Boulevard.
Some people believe the Broadusses sent the letters themselves
Several theories circulate regarding the identity of The Watcher even now, but perhaps the wildest one is that Derek and Maria sent the letters to themselves.
According to the New York Times, “The Westfield Leader published an article in which anonymous neighbors were quoted asking why the Broadduses kept renovating a home they weren’t moving into, or questioning whether they had really done that much renovating at all. The Leader even cast doubt on Maria’s commitment to her family’s safety, citing as evidence the fact that she had a public Facebook page with a photo of her kids. The paper did note that the police had tested Maria’s DNA and it didn’t match.”
Check out The Watcher streaming exclusively on Netflix!
