Film Review: The Watchers (2024)
- Very Average Joe
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Title: The Watchers
Director(s): Ishana Night Shyamalan
Screenwriter(s): Ishana Night Shyamalan
Studio: Blinding Edge Pictures & Inimitable Pictures
Released: 2024
Runtime: 1h 42m
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, Oliver Finnegan
Based on A.M. Shine’s debut novel of the same name first published in 2021, The Watchers is Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut and for which she is also the screenwriter. Her father, M. Night Shyamalan, is one of the producers. I have not read the novel so this review is of the film only.
Mina (Dakota Fanning) is an American living in Galway, Ireland. She works at a local pet store. One day, she is tasked with delivering a parrot. It’s a long drive and her car conveniently breaks down in the middle of the forest.
Of course, it’s one of those forests: she turns around and her car is not there anymore. She does come across an older woman who leads her into a concrete structure called the “Coop”. The older woman is Madeline (Olwen Fouéré), and there are two others, Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan).
It seems these three have been living there for some time, unable to escape the forest. There are rules, one of which is to remain in the Coop once daylight is gone. One side of the Coop is a one-way mirror so the “Watchers” can observe them from the outside without being seen. The plot follows Mina and the others as they try to survive and eventually escape.
The story is a mix of folklore and “monster” horror, although the former is not that apparent (except for maybe the forest) until later in the film via somewhat clumsy exposition. This doesn’t ruin the work, but the blend and presentation can be better.
The film starts strongly. The audience is initially not shown the so-called Watchers. Their background is unknown. There is a story behind them and the Coop, and this is addressed later in the film.
Like every other work of horror, it has the difficulty of balancing mystery (and intrigue) and satisfying the audience with answers without being too jarring. Most of the elements are signposted; in this regard, it is predictable, which is not entirely a bad thing as nothing is jarring.
Just when the tension starts to be tiresome, the narrative moves on to some exposition and/or action. Without spoiling, the final act moves in a direction that some may not predict, but the fundamental issue of what the Watchers are and what they want remains the same. The film can be tighter but it is not a drag.
Visually, it looks nice enough, partly because it was shot in Ireland. There are a lot of slow dolly shots (or equivalent thereof) and this is done with good effect. However, there can be heavier stylization such as odd camera angles and irregular framing in wider shots. The Coop interior uses a warm palette whereas exterior shots as daylight fades use a cool palette. This is appreciated, saturated colors are nice, but it comes across as a little inconsistent when quite a few scenes seem too “normal”.
There is a hint of a psychological thriller given that everyone, particularly Mina, has issues. Whilst these may be consistent with the themes of identity and how one displays oneself, these elements are not utilized well. These details probably work well in a novel and not so much in a feature-length film. The film would be more compelling if there were more distrust and paranoia between the four characters.
If one is looking for lots of big scares, then one will be disappointed. It is not that kind of horror film. It is moderately intriguing and gripping. It is nicely lit, shot and edited. The performances are solid, with Dakota Fanning having a certain screen presence as expected. Setting aside that some of the expositions are a little clumsy, some of the logistics of past events are too convenient. But even accepting that, it ultimately lacks that mindblowing element. It’s not a bad effort, but it’s nothing great.
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