Folk horror aims for the darkest parts of our imaginations. The creatures that dwell out of sight can frighten and speak to larger cultural concerns. Ishana Shyamalan tackles the genre in her debut feature, The Watchers. With some interesting mythical characters, The Watchers touches on some poignant topics. However, a frustrating screenplay and questionable structure sink the film, especially in its final act.
The Watchers Plot
Mina (Dakota Fanning) continues to struggle with the death of her mother. More than fifteen years after a car accident, she remains estranged from her sister. When her boss at the pet store asks her to deliver a bird to the zoo, Mina takes the gig to avoid facing her grief. However, after her car breaks down in the woods, she becomes trapped in a bunker with three strangers (Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, and Oliver Finnegan). Outside the shelter, creatures watch through mirrored glass overnight. As the isolation unsettles the group, they question whether there’s a path out of the woods.
The Watchers Critique
Shymalan approaches The Watchers with some decent ideas. Throughout the story, Fanning makes allusions to changing her personality. Her mocking, imitation, and choice to actively disengage with her remaining family build some exciting ideas for us to unpack. There are questions about mental health, especially isolation, which resonate in the aftermath of COVID. One can also identify questions about media consumption and our online self-portrayal. Sadly, despite some true potential in these moments of The Watchers, they ultimately do not amount to much.
One can also argue Shyamalan’s strongest ideas come when the ghouls watch the makeshift family. These scenes are juxtaposed against Mina watching a reality dating show (Lair of Love which features a hilarious Love Island parody). If Shyamalan wants The Watchers to tap into the fake personas we present to the world, she needs to dig deeper. The concept here is shallow and tired. Unfortunately, a faux pas like this makes your movie feel empty.
There’s an opportunity to highlight Fanning as a superstar. Other young actresses have utilized the horror and thriller genres to jump-start new eras of their careers. Sydney Sweeney and Florence Pugh have proven the genres’ effectiveness at reframing and creating stars. However, the exposition-heavy dialogue and generic “trauma” backstory make it difficult for Fanning to showcase her talent. Instead, she feels like she’s sleepwalking through it.
It’s not usually fair to criticize a movie for characters doing the dumbest things possible to advance the plot. After all, characters don’t usually know they’re in a movie. However, there are too many moments in The Watchers where nonsense decisions are made, seemingly only to make things worse. This makes The Watchers an extra frustrating experience at times.
To its credit, The Watchers looks good. The visual ideas Shyamalan goes to create some very cool images. Additionally, the cinematography is sleek, and thanks to DP Eli Arensen, the CG integration mostly works. There are some sequences where it struggles, but on the whole, Shyamalan knows how to craft an image.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the screenplay has too many issues for The Watchers to survive. It affects the logic of the movie and makes it hard for the actors to elevate the material. It’s dry, and this makes for a very frustrating experience. Some of the jumpscares are successful, even if horror takes a backseat at times. However, Shyamalan displays enough talent here. We would love to see what style she’ll embrace in her next feature. She’s got too much directorial confidence to ignore.
4/10
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