With her directorial debut The Watchers, writer/director Ishana Shyamalan shows that she has picked up many of her father’s skills, both good and bad. Like many of his films, The Watchers starts off well with an interesting concept, but eventually falls apart as you approach the required twist ending.
The Watchers is the story of Mina (Dakota Fanning), a young artist living in Ireland. On a trip through a large forest, she finds herself lost with no way out. Eventually, she finds shelter with 3 strangers and realizes that every night they are all being watched by unknown creatures with unknown intent.
As I said, the concept in interesting and the movie does start out well. It’s a bit of a slow burn at first, but it does help to build the tension. The cinematography is terrific and you really get a feel for just how expansive this forest is and why it might be impossible to find your way out (particularly as you need to be indoors by nightfall). The use of shadow and light when outdoors also adds to a feeling of dread. And the look and feel of the shelter they have found (known as the Coop) gives a claustrophobic feel and adds to the character’s need to get out. Although there are some clunky moments (particularly the dialogue), I was engaged. At least as the beginning.
It's not long before things start to fall apart though. The story never seems fully developed. It’s a series of ideas that never add up to anything truly interesting. As it is based on a book, that seems odd. I haven’t read the book so I can’t say where things diverge and start going wrong. I suspect it’s a case of not committing fully to the story and being more interested in the concept without a clear idea of how it should play out on screen.
Naturally, much of the movie comes down to understanding what the creatures are and why they watch are intent on watching out main characters. Unfortunately, as the movie starts to peel back the layers, the less it all makes sense. And everything you learn about them is through heavy dialogue. Exposition Character 1 explains way too much near the start of the film (the rules for surviving), and then Exposition Character 2 takes over to fill in the remaining details (the true nature of the watchers). Other than some of Mina’s past, there is little in this movie that you learn by watching it happen. What you learn is interesting, but there are many times where I felt that I was just listening to the audio book version of the movie. That really drags the flow of the movie down.
Another thing that holds The Watchers back is that most of the characters lack any depth. Mina is the only one we learn anything about. The other characters are simply there just to be another character for Mina to talk to, or to provide exposition. While you do feel something for Mina, the other characters feel expendable. There’s simply no feeling of dread for them at any time.
In terms of horror, The Watchers does have its moments where it effectively creates an uneasy tension. There’s not much in the way of genuine scares though. The movie occasionally takes you right to the point where the scare should occur, but then backs off. Even The Watchers themselves, which should be the main point of fright, are more oddly intriguing than the stuff of nightmares. The movie is trapped between horror and fantasy and never fully commits to either.
What starts off well eventually crashed in on itself, and The Watchers is ultimately disappointing. Ishana Shyamalan shows promise as a director, and there are a few things to like about this movie. The setup for the movie is great, but the overreliance on exposition heavy dialogue, and a story that is never fully realized, keep her debut from being a winner. I’d be interested in seeing more from her, but she’ll need to ensure she has a better story to work with.
Have you seen The Watchers? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.