THE WATCHER

Well, as the Shadow says: "What evil lurks in the heart of man?" Plenty, if "The Watcher" has anything to say about it.
And evil here follows a bewildered FBI agent around like a cloak on a dagger, or something like that. Agent Joe Campbell (James Spader) has moved from his native Los Angeles to Chicago to rid himself of psychotic killers and a high stress life style, and to try to forget the guilt he feels at not having captured one particular murderer. But, not so fast Joe, look behind you . . .
The cunning and demented killer, David Allen Griffin, (Keanu Reeves) has followed Campbell from Los Angeles to the home of the Cubs, but there's nothing cublike in his behavior.
You know at the outset who the evil guy is, so the suspense is the cat and mouse game of catch. Griffin specializes in gruesome murders of young women. He sends Campbell a picture of his selected victim the day before he kills, and dares Campbell to find her before he strikes. Griffin's real victim, of course, is Campbell.
All of this wears on Campbell, and he pours out his troubles to a young psychiatrist ( Marisa Tomei), a nice change of scenery from Griffin. But, Griffin isn't going to let Campbell off easy. He meticulously stages one final murder designed to destroy Campbell. And does it? Well, maybe the Shadow knows.
Directed by Joe Charbanic, the movie has three writers and that's not a good sign.
It is rated R for violence and language.
It starts Thursday at Sunny Isles Theaters.