Like a lot of films of this breed, Watchman, too, gets a little less interesting as the film progresses. However, it manages to work in parts, as in a couple of scenes your heart will beat too fast. 

The film begins with a distressed youngster (GV Prakash) trying to sell his bike thinking that it would fetch him the money required to repay the money he borrowed from a loan shark. As the financier rejects his offer, he decides to break into a secluded bungalow, with the intention to commit theft. A dog comes in the way and traps him inside the house. The story goes back in time, where we get to see his girlfriend (Samyuktha Hegde) and her parents paying an unannounced visit to his house, to fix their engagement date. In the next scene, the director also reveals us the real reason for his debt and the urgency to solve the issue. 

Moving forward, GV evades the dog and breaks into the house. Little does he know that he has stepped into the residence of an ex-Deputy Inspector General (Suman), who is suffering at the hands of a few terrorists. The second half is all about how the dog and the youngster go all out to save this ex-policeman. 

The first 30 minutes of the film is engrossing and gives us the feel of a crime thriller. However, post interval, the story gets too predictable and doesn’t even give time for the audience to empathise with the characters. The director’s decision to keep the run time short is laudable, especially for a genre like this. He has also made sure that the romantic sequences, which come as a parallel narration, do not fall apart. Both GV Prakash and Suman are extremely good in their respective roles. 

Unlike a lot of modern horror thrillers, which use quick cuts and shaky camerawork to induce fear, cinematographer Nirav Shah decided to stick to the basics and give us a clearer vision. It’s powerful and does work. GV Prakash, who is also the composer of the film, has done a decent job. The background score complements the story well and helps to place ourselves in the middle of the events. The dog’s performance in the second half is yet another highlight and something to watch out for. Overall, Watchman is a decent film, which could have been made better.