You've probably heard about Netflix's new TV miniseries "The Watcher" by now. It's one of the creepiest stories in New Jersey history and has held the streaming giant's No. 1 spot almost constantly since it debuted last week.
For those unfamiliar, the quick real-life plot line:
Derek and Maria Broaddus bought a 1905 Dutch colonial revival in Westfield, New Jersey, in June 2014 for $1.3 million. It was their dream house. They never moved in -- and ultimately sold the sprawling six-bedroom estate at a half-million-dollar loss. Why? Just after the buy, they started to get frightening letters from a stalker who called himself "The Watcher." And he said he'd been watching their house for nearly a century. The case has never been solved.
Sounds creepy, right? It's the kind of urban legend that makes for sensational TV drama. Fans have been flocking from all over for a glimpse of 657 Boulevard in Westfield. They're excited. Westfield residents, however, are not.
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The fan madness over the series has gotten so rough that Westfield police had to barricade the driveway to the home, which is now walled off by caution tape and at times guarded by police officers, according to NJ.com.
Included among those fans -- Louise Evans, a British resident who just happened to be visiting friends in nearby New Providence, where she used to live, NJ.com reported.
"It’s just a really interesting story," she told the outlet. "I lived in New Providence when this was all happening, so now that I’m visiting friends here, I thought, 'Let’s see the house.'"
People who actually live in Westfield, though, would prefer she -- and everyone else like her -- did not.
According to NJ.com, "The Watcher" house visitors encountered residents shouting "Go home!" in drive-bys through the weekend and into Monday.
One woman who lives in the community, Trish Dulinkski, said the line of cars vying to reach 657 Boulevard is getting out of control.
"We are all concerned for the family living there now and their neighbors," Dulinkski told NJ.com. "I cannot imagine how long it will be before people lose interest so the neighborhood can go back to normal, nor can I imagine how much mail the poor current owners will receive from crackpots all over the world."
Wait, what? There's a family living there now? Don't even think about it ...
Long the stuff of internet lore and local legend, Netflix's "The Watcher" premiered Oct. 13. The loosely reality-based horror series stars Naomi Watts of "The Impossible" and many other big movies, alongside Bobby Cannavale, the versatile Garden State-born actor from "Blue Jasmine," "Motherless Brooklyn," "Mr. Robot" and more.
The seven-episode miniseries comes from "Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" creators Ryan Murphy, also known for "American Horror Story" and "Glee," and Ian Brennan, who wrote for "Glee" and co-created the Dahmer series.
We won't spoil any more of the fun for you. Check out the official trailer below.
