In Ishana Night Shyamalan’s feature debut, “The Watchers”, confusion begins right from the title, which differs by region: in North America, it’s called “The Watchers,” while in the UK and Ireland, it’s “The Watched.” This discrepancy mirrors the film’s scattershot narrative, which, despite its straightforward premise, spirals into a complex and ultimately unsatisfying thriller.
A Classic Set-Up Goes Awry
Adapted from A.M. Shine’s folk-horror novel, the movie begins with an enticingly simple setup—a classic cabin-in-the-woods scenario. Shyamalan, however, complicates the story beyond necessity. The opening sequences signal a promising horror tale. A voiceover describes a deadly forest that ensnares lost souls, echoing familiar genre motifs. This is vividly illustrated by a panicked backpacker, who, despite his desperate attempts to escape, finds himself eerily back where he started, only to be killed by an unseen force.
The Protagonist’s Predicament
The scene shifts to Galway, where we meet Mina (Dakota Fanning), a pet-shop worker grappling with the grief of losing her mother 15 years prior. On the anniversary of her mother’s death, Mina indulges in an escapist fantasy, only to abandon it abruptly when tasked with delivering a rare parrot to a zoo. En route, her car breaks down in a remote forest after encountering electrical malfunctions. Stranded, Mina ventures into the woods with the parrot, Darwin, and quickly loses her bearings. As darkness falls, she encounters Madeline (Olwen Fouéré), an enigmatic woman who warns her to run for her life and leads her to an isolated cabin known as “The Coop.”
Inside “The Coop”
In the cabin, Mina meets other trapped souls: Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan). The trio have been stuck in this eerie locale for months, expecting the return of Ciara’s husband, the ill-fated hiker from the film’s beginning. The Coop is dominated by a vast two-way mirror, through which unseen creatures observe the residents. According to Daniel, merely seeing these creatures could drive a person mad.
Overcomplicated Lore
Shyamalan quickly establishes this unsettling setup within the first 20 minutes, suggesting a taut and efficient horror film. However, the narrative soon becomes unwieldy. Drawing from rich Irish folklore, the film introduces changelings—malevolent fairies who can mimic humans. This mythology becomes entangled in the story when the characters discover an underground bunker and unravel the mysteries surrounding “The Professor,” the architect of The Coop.
The film’s momentum stalls as Mina discovers archaic video files on an old computer. These recordings from The Professor inundate the audience with convoluted exposition about ancient fae societies and potential escape routes, diminishing the film’s initial suspense.
Missed Opportunities and Narrative Struggles
While Shyamalan demonstrates a knack for crafting effective scares, the film’s plot falters. Mina’s emotionally heavy backstory, tied to her mother’s death, feels cumbersome and detracts from the horror elements. Additionally, the film establishes strict rules that it later disregards. For instance, the caution to never turn one’s back on the mirror is ignored without consequence, undermining the established tension.
An Overextended Conclusion
“The Watchers” appears to reach a natural conclusion at around the 75-minute mark, aligning with the pacing of similar horror films. Yet, it prolongs the narrative for another 25 minutes, introducing an excessive coda filled with multiple twists. This extended ending feels laborious and leaves viewers overwhelmed and disoriented, mirroring the expression of Dakota Fanning’s character, who delivers a performance reminiscent of her wide-eyed portrayal in “War of the Worlds.”
Title: The Watchers
Studio: Warner Bros
Release Date: June 7, 2024
Director-Screenwriter: Ishana Night Shyamalan
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, Olwen Fouéré
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hr 42 min
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