There’s Not Much to See with Middling Fantasy Horror The Watchers (2024)
Title: The Watchers
First Non-Festival Release: June 5, 2024 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Ishana Shyamalan
Writer: Ishana Shyamalan, A.M. Shine
Runtime: 102 Minutes
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Olwen Fouéré, Georgina Campbell
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
All eyes are on Ishana Shyamalan in her feature directorial debut, making The Watchers a high stakes watch. Unfair or not, it is impossible to deny that comparisons will be made between her work and her father, prolific genre director M. Night Shyamalan. Thankfully, The Watchers is based off the 2021 novel by A.M. Shine, so Ishana Shyamalan can differentiate herself as a storyteller.
Aimless pet store employee Mina (Dakota Fanning) is tasked with delivering a special parrot to another city, which should be a day’s journey. Along the way, her car breaks down in the middle of a vast forest with dark creatures hidden in the foliage. With nightfall eminent, Mina stumbles upon a small shelter in the middle of the forest that holds three others seeking refuge from their supernatural tormenters: Madeline (Olwen Fouéré), Ciara (Georgina Campbell), and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan). Every night, the creatures descend upon the home and watch the captives through the glass of a one-way mirror.
Messy yet ambitious, The Watchers makes for a passable foray into folk horror thanks to unsettling imagery and engaging lore.
From the beginning, a series of interesting story choices make for an unusual setup that promises something different in a year of somewhat disappointing theatrical releases. Without much known of The Watchers from its marketing, one can reasonably expect something unique. A strong first act introduces audiences to its unassuming survivors and the antagonists hidden in the shadows. Initial character dynamics allow the story to flow naturally with Mina providing an excellent avenue to explain the horrors before the group to the audience, so they truly understand what is in front of them.
This engaging story takes a turn for the worse as Mina’s captivity persists, with The Watchers hitting several roadblocks as multiple threads of the story fall apart. Early on, the audience is introduced to a set of rules by which all characters are meant to follow lest they desire certain death. Unfortunately, the antagonists of The Watchers let all of these rules slide, as the protagonists slip past every transgression unscathed. The stakes never feel high enough to justify the crew’s fear of the woods. Even still, it’s the unspoken rules that feel even more egregious. It’s never quite explained how the antagonists control the forest to mess with the protagonist’s minds but choose not to interfere in their escape efforts.
The lore behind the creatures is fascinating to say the least but doesn’t quite hold up when understanding the structure of the film. Inconsistent dynamics between the titular watchers and the captives make it hard to understand the motivations of the antagonists. There are further logistical elements that don’t add up to the point where it gets harder to take The Watchers seriously under the weight of its shoddily constructed story. Perhaps the most egregious element involves a subplot with a professor that makes no sense in the context of the creature’s hunting habits and the ability for him to conduct his research in the manner he does. Even when taking the film on more as a fairy tale than a straightforward horror, it doesn’t conjure enough goodwill to make for its foundational flaws.
Uneven parallels are drawn between Mina and the creatures as she grapples with her own trauma while attempting to survive the wilderness. Threads of Mina’s guilt over her mother’s death are interwoven into the more interesting story of the group trapped in the woods. Much of this is thrown back at Mina, who is naturally a person who places self-preservation over others. She is described as selfish and stubborn, descriptors she would likely use as well given her inability to forgive herself for her actions as a child. “Be yourself” is a refrain thrown at Mina when she is forced to perform in front of the creatures but is a piece of advice that she embraces in the end when she truly understands the horrors she is facing. Comparisons between herself and the watchers as misunderstood monsters are meant to be uplifting but feel forced. Elements of embracing who you are and persevering through loneliness don’t do much to differentiate this horror effort from similarly themed films, even if the comparisons are more unique than others.
The moodiness of the still Irish forest captures the potential of The Watchers, offering some cinematic eye candy from the meandering story. Initially, the oversaturated darkness of its cold open transforms into something more akin from a folk tale. A sea of cold, empty greenery pressed against a ghostly fog make The Watchers a treat for those who glorify the horror of the forest. Cinematographer Eli Arenson knows how to capture a beautiful moment onscreen while Shyamalan knows how to twist it into something more horrific. Scant shots of the watchers make the audience desperate to know more, the camera lingering for just enough time to drum up suspense. It’s beautifully shot, even if the tension fades.
While not spectacular, The Watchers shows promise for a young filmmaker despite the rough story and lack of intensity. Its engaging fairy tale approach to its content leads to more questions than answers while leaving viewers stumped on just how this setup works. Capable performances, a cool creature design, and strong visual direction keeps The Watchers from getting too lost in the weeds of its own story.
Overall Score? 5/10
