With a name as revered as M. Night Shyamalan, any movie that carries his name has a certain expectation of mystery, fear, and plot twists beyond comprehension.
When it was announced that his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, would be writing and directing her debut movie, fans of her father’s work had a level of expected skepticism that would only be swayed by the best. Fortunately for us, the fans, (along with Ishana), The Watchers is every bit as deep and terrifying, as well as full of lore, as her father’s movies, and it also has a showcase of its own flair that helps set her cinematic tone and style apart from her father’s previous works (I will refrain from mentioning M. Night Shyamalan from here out; Ishana deserves her own spotlight.)
Scary Ass Ticket!
The Watchers has every bit of classical horror criteria that is sure to make even the most seasoned movie-goer fall to the edge of his seat, but it does it in ways that have not been pursued previously.
What I found refreshing was the use of old Irish spirits; in a world of vampires and zombies, ancient shape-shifting monsters that wanted revenge on humanity were extremely new and unpredictable. I think unpredictable is a good word for the entirety of the film: it did not follow many tropes that I was accustomed to, and every new bit of information and twist was completely surprising but very welcome.
First, the concept of the entire forest held under siege by the spirits, luring travelers astray and eventually condemning them was a very new concept. The fact that the monsters only attacked at night also gave a new take on the escape aspect of the movie; there was time for the characters to relax and think and plan, as long as they did so by sundown.
This helped with the pacing of the movie, as I know several films that pound the viewing with nonstop dread and it all becomes a bit too much after a while.
I also really enjoyed the climax twist at the end of the movie. It was completely unpredictable, and I was taken completely by surprise to learn that what I thought was the end of the film was a juke-out, and that the main character, Mina, still had new revelations and foes to fight.
————Spoilers Ahead————-
The fact that Madeline ended up being a changeling was an incredible plot twist, as it was something viewers will never see coming, yet is completely possible as a twist and does not feel contrived at all. I have watched many a film that forces the twist at the end and leaves the viewer with only confusion; this was fresh, thrilling, and led to the possibility of rewatches, as with this new information, everyone will want to see how Madeline gave subtle hints that she was in fact the changeling since the beginning of the film. This climax was definitely the best part of the film for me.
———End of Spoilers—————-
The all-star cast
I have not read the book by A. M. Shine that the film is based upon, but if the movie keeps up with the source material, then I might have to add it to my list, as with the movie this good, it can only be doing its original work justice. The Watchers is engaging, fearsome, deeply emotional (the scenes with Mina as a child witnessing her Mother’s death are particularly heart-tugging), and most of all, a tour-de-force of horror cinema today. Very rarely does a movie appear which manages to completely revamp the genre, and The Watchers is in this very category.
Catch The Watchers today, from Warner Bros Movies, on June 7th, in theaters (and bring a change of pants!)
