The Watchers (2024) Review – A Serviceable If Flawed Directorial Debut
The Watchers: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A visually interesting and atmospheric debut that proves Ishana Night Shyamalan has a keen eye for tension, even if she hasn’t quite escaped her father’s narrative shadows. The Watchers succeeds in establishing a creepy, high-concept premise and maintains a thick sense of dread through much of its runtime. While the script falters with clunky exposition and a rushed finale, the core mystery is compelling enough to keep viewers engaged. Anchored by a solid Dakota Fanning performance and an absolute standout turn from Olwen Fouéré, it is a serviceable PG-13 folk horror that serves as a decent entry point for younger genre fans. It is a 3-star effort that suggests promise for the director’s future, provided she can find a stronger voice in her writing.
Details: Director: Ishana Night Shyamalan | Cast: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, Oliver Finnegan | Runtime: 1h 42m | Release Date: 7 June 2024
Best for: Fans of slow-burn atmospheric horror, younger teens looking for a “safe” entry into the genre, and anyone interested in modern takes on Celtic folklore.
Worth noting: The film is titled The Watched in the United Kingdom and Ireland, following its original theatrical release branding.
Where to Watch: Amazon🛒
Rating: 3/5 Stars
(Creepy concept, atmospheric tension, weak script and pacing)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing Ishana Night Shyamalan’s The Watchers (known as The Watched in the UK and other places).
Highlights
A fascinating concept set deep in the woods
Based on a novel by A. M. Shine, The Watchers is set in Western Ireland and follows the story of a young woman, Mina (Dakota Fanning – Coraline), who breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
Attempting to find her way, she encounters a woman called Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) who ushers her into the safety of a large bunker-like building known as “the coop”. A place where a group of survivors have been staying for safety. Confused, Madeline tells Mina of the strange creatures that stalk the forests at night known as The Watchers.
Nobody has ever made it out from the forest alive. And now the group of survivors must stand in front of a mirror to be observed every time the sun goes down, only emerging in the day to forage for supplies. Unless, of course, there is another way out.
The true horror of it all
If we can just address some of the conversations surrounding The Watchers for a second. All this talk of nepotism, due to M. Night Shyamalan’s shameless involvement and promotion of his daughter’s directorial debut, is ignoring one important fact. We are now set to be subject to a whole new generation of trademark Shyamalan bull shittery.
For those of us who were completely tired of his needless plot twists and disappointing endings, we had the faint hope that he would one day retire and maybe the sting from movies like The Lady in the Water and The Happening would gradually fade. Hell, maybe one day we would even come to appreciate some of his more creative efforts like Signs and The Village as classics.
“Now we have a 22-year-old M. Night Shyamalan mini-me running around knocking out movies emulating her dad’s very specific style of filmmaking.”
But no, he had to go and plant his seed and then encourage said seed to go into movie making. Now we have a 22-year-old M. Night Shyamalan mini-me running around knocking out movies emulating her dad’s very specific style of filmmaking. Great! But the real question here is whether or not The Watchers bears any resemblance to a movie made by her pops?
An attempt to separate
Ishana clearly attempts to create some distance between herself and her father. She is, likely, acutely aware of the impending comparisons and tries to muddy that conversation slightly. I can see some Hitchcock influence here and there in some of her shot setups. The whole presentation feels more modern. It is hard not to enjoy some of the more obtuse angles dotted around and the reflections used to create interesting visuals. It is clear that Ishana is trying to do her own thing and her creativity shines in parts.
While the inevitable ending twist is present and accounted for, and the Hollywood presentation afforded to a very young director with no experience will add fuel to the flames of conversation regarding said nepotism, there are plenty of moments here that simply hint at a young, promising, filmmaker trying to find their way.
“The inevitable ending twist is present and accounted for, but there are plenty of moments here that simply hint at a young, promising, filmmaker trying to find their way.”
The pacing is off at times. Ishana’s script is often quite weak. There are long periods where little to nothing happens. The ending of the movie is all too rushed and character development is sadly lacking. Plot holes abound and it feels as though there are a few too many loose ends left untied. The final 15 minutes or so culminate in a wild attempt to draw the plot together and fill the viewer in.
Still fairly enjoyable
With all of that being said, I really didn’t hate The Watchers. In fact, I found it quite enjoyable. Being perfectly honest, I think The Watchers is a pretty good example of PG horror. There are enough scares to keep you invested. The setup is fairly interesting. I found the plot intriguing. The Watchers themselves are a scary concept. There is enough information drip fed in to keep you on your toes. Hell, the movie is absolutely dripping in tension on a number of occasions.
Sure, the attempts at weaving Celtic folklore into the plot felt haphazard and poorly executed. And the movie never really peaks but it is completely watchable. Dakota Fanning is in good form as Mina and doesn’t scream once which is a bonus. Olwen Fouéré is an absolute joy and I enjoyed John Lynch’s small role.
“The Watchers also deserves mention as a horror movie for young teens thanks to minimal on-screen violence and the slow sense of dread.”
Everyone on board takes the movie as seriously as a phone call from the hospital telling you to bring a relative or friend with you to your next appointment. And Ishana doesn’t go overboard on the special effects. Though what effects there are absolutely suck. It’s really not as bad as many would have you believe. In the case of The Watchers, the talk of nepotism is louder than the talk about the actual movie.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Atmosphere: The film does an excellent job of making the dense Irish forest feel oppressive and genuinely frightening.
- Olwen Fouéré: A brilliant performance that adds weight and gravitas to the “survivor” group in the Coop.
- The Concept: The idea of humans being kept for observation by unseen forest dwellers is a unique and captivating horror hook.
The Bad
- Weak Scripting: The dialogue is frequently heavy-handed and relies too much on exposition to explain the plot.
- Rushed Ending: The final act tries to cram in too much lore and a twist that doesn’t feel as earned as it could have been.
- Pacing Issues: There are significant lulls in the middle act where the story struggles to move forward.
The Ugly: The “Celtic Folklore” execution. The attempt to weave deep mythology into the plot feels messy and ultimately detracts from the initial mystery of the creatures.
Should You Watch The Watchers?
Yes, especially if you enjoy low-stakes supernatural mysteries. It’s an enjoyable enough way to spend a quiet evening, and while it isn’t a masterpiece, it is far from the disaster that some critics have labelled it. Just go in expecting a decent PG-13 thriller rather than the next great folk horror classic.
Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight
Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.
A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.
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