The Watchers [Movie Review]

The Watchers [Movie Review] | To be frank, I am not a fan on Shyamalan movies. But since this is his daughter's, well, let's just give it a go, right?

SYNOPSIS

The Watchers (2024) Trivia

• Starring: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré & Oliver Finnegan
• Director: Ishana Night Shyamalan
• Producer: M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan & Nimitt Mankad
• Production Company: New Line Cinema, Blinding Edge Pictures & Inimitable Pictures
• Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
  
• Release date: June 7, 2024
• Running time: 102 minutes
• Rating: MA
  
• Country: United States
  
• Language: English
• IMDb: 5.7 / 10
• Tomatometer: 31%
• Metascore: 44%
• Ishana Night Shyamalan makes her directorial debut with this film, produced by M. Night Shyamalan and based on A.M. Shine's 2022 novel of the same name.
• The title was initially 'The Watchers' but was later changed to 'The Watched' in the UK and Ireland to prevent any mix-up with the Netflix series 'The Watcher'.  

Mina, an American, works at a local pet shop in an Irish village, away from her twin sister and the memory of her mother's death. One day, her boss wants her to deliver a rarer bird and the journey might take her a day to arrive. 

During the journey, her car breaks down, leaving her stranded in a dense forest, Trying to find her way out of the forest, she encounters an old woman named Madeline, who leads her to a mysterious bunker known as 'The Coop' where she meets two other inhabitants, Ciara and Daniel. Madeline reveals that they are being observed by a mysterious group called 'The Watchers' who watch them through mirrored glass every night. 

The forest has strange rules: the Watchers kill anyone outside the Coop at night, and the group must avoid the Burrows, tunnels under the forest where the Watchers hide during the day due to their photophobia. The group has been trapped in the forest for months, and tensions are high.

Mina bonds with Ciara and Daniel but often clashes with the rule-abiding Madeline. One day, Mina and Daniel explore a Burrow and find several old items, narrowly escaping a Watcher that burns in sunlight. The arrival of Ciara's missing husband, John, causes chaos when he fails to prove his identity and is attacked. This event shatters the mirrored glass of the Coop, forcing Madeline to return the retrieved items to appease the Watchers.

As winter approaches, the group's unity starts to crack. In a moment of desperation, Daniel locks Mina and Madeline out of the Coop at night, exposing them to the forest's dangers. They witness the Watchers—humanoid creatures mimicking the Coop's occupants—react violently to their absence. Upon returning, Madeline explains that the Watchers are ancient beings called Changelings or Faeries, who are trying to learn to imitate humans.

Later, the group discovers a hidden bunker with supplies and video diaries from a professor who created the Coop to study the Watchers. His last diary entry reveals a desperate escape plan and a request to destroy his university notes. The group decides to follow his advice, only to face tragic losses.

Will the group be able to leave the forest and away from the Watchers?

MY REVIEW

What I Like: 

• The character development helps to understand the movie direction. 
• It is not dark so you can see the creatures in the dark. 

What I Don't Like:

• Would be good if they can also portray the monsters in their early days, but missing this does not stop the movie from being good.

Will I Watch It Again: I probably will, but not my fave go-to.

Overall: 4.5/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

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