The Watchers (2024)

Released: 2024

Directed By: Ishana Night Shyamalan

Runtime: 102 mins

Closely based on the book by A.M. Shine, The Watchers is the directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of The King of Twists himself, M. Night Shyamalan.

The Watchers is the story of Mina (played by Dakota Fanning), a young woman unable to move forward from her past, and has been tasked with relocating a rare bird to a zoo a few hours away.

On the drive, Mina’s car breaks down in a secluded woodland, and she’s found by Madeline (Olwen Fouere) who takes her back to the safety of ‘The Coop’, a fortified bunker in the middle of the forest.

Once there, Mina meets two more group members, Ciara (Georgina Campbell), and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan), and together the four souls must work together to survive in the forest amongst a horde of unseen creatures.

Having read the book, I was really excited for this big screen adaptation. But creepy monsters and beautiful Irish forests can’t save this movie from poorly developed characters and a severe case of telling not showing.

The jumbled story makes it difficult for viewers to figure out which details are important and which aren’t. Unfortunately for The Watchers, very little is actually important to the story.

Suspension of disbelief is also a must. So many aspects of the film are far from reality it removes the enjoyment and pulls the viewer out of the story. Mina’s impromptu road trip to the zoo is a perfect example. Watching her continue driving down what essentially looks like a hiking trail is almost laughable.

Once we finally get to see the creatures, it’s even more disappointing because their design looks really fantastic. But a couple of genuinely creepy scenes later we’re right back into the messy mix of multiple themes and boring characters.

If you want a really great story, read the book. It fills all the weird plot holes left behind by the movie. All the characters have incredible depth and back story that makes them interesting to learn about and makes you care.

If you’re really itching to see The Watchers, my suggestion is to wait for it to com out on streaming and save some of your hard earned dollars.

2/5 Mangled Bicycles