When the Broaddus family moved into their dream home at 657 Boulevard in New Jersey, they were not aware that someone was watching. That is until they began receiving the letters.

It’s likely that the Broaddus family would also be surprised to know that years later, Netflix would release a curation of their experience by the masterful Ryan Murphy.

Though sinister in its own right, this seven-episode series based on the true story of the Broaddus family feels like a quirky stretch of the truth.

“The Watcher,” released Oct. 13, is an offbeat mystery that encapsulates Murphy’s version of what occurred at 657 Boulevard. Though the majority of the plot is dramatized for entertainment purposes, the main point of concern is true — and it is terrifying. 

When the Broaddus family moved into their new home in 2014, they began receiving letters from someone who called themselves “The Watcher.” In total, the family received four letters, each addressing the family in a sinister way, recounting personal information about the family and referring to their young children as “youngblood.” Apparently, the family who lived in the house before them also received the letters. 

Anyone familiar with Murphy’s previous work will recognize his influence immediately. 

Murphy — known for his quirky and iconic style of creation through shows like “Glee,” “American Horror Story,” and more recently, “Dahmer” — adds a certain flair to every project. “The Watcher” was no exception to this. 

Casting played a large role in this flair. Without knowing the real Broaddus family, it’s impossible to tell how accurate Murphy’s choices were to the real thing, but for the story, he was creating, the casting was perfect.

The most unexpected, but enjoyable familiar face was Jennifer Coolidge as Karen Calhoun, the real estate agent who sold the house to the Brannocks, as the family is called in the series. 

Coolidge did what she does best — provide comedic relief. So much, in fact, that at times the series was hard to take seriously. Coolidge typically shines her light in comedies, so in a mystery like this, she shined even brighter. 

All of Murphy’s work has an underlying air of silliness, but at times, “The Watcher” was so ridiculously goofy that it felt necessary to verify the true story did not include such absurdities. 

That being said, it’s impossible to look away from. The variety of personalities, all of which you are made to believe could be guilty of writing the letters, are addicting. The characters are so odd, so convincing, that you never know who to believe. Is it one of the neighbors? Is it all of the neighbors? In Murphy’s rendition, these are both viable possibilities, and this drives the Brannocks crazy.

Now, anyone who knows the story of the Broadduses knows that The Watcher was never found, so the possibilities to approach this ending seemed endless for Murphy. 

Though the ending may have been a bit open-ended and confusing, it is true to the real story. Murphy focused more on the impact this experience had on the family, and less on the actual watcher. 

No one knows who really wrote those letters, but Murphy’s explanation tells the story of a cycle created through the trauma of receiving them. 

This is an interesting watch, one that promises to be unlike any you’ve seen before. 

“The Watcher” is streaming now on Netflix.