https://blackgirlnerds.com/review-ishana-shyamalans-directorial-debut-the-watchers-is-a-decent-supernatural-flick/

Ishana Shyamalan makes her feature film directorial debut with Warner Bros. The Watchers, based on A.M. Shine’s novel of the same name. As you may have already guessed, she is the daughter of director M. Knight Shyamalan, who lends a helping hand as a producer. 

The film follows Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, who serves as the main character while adding an A-lister to the roster. After experiencing some car trouble on a path through the woods, Mina ventures out of her car to look for help. Instead, she finds herself running from something lurking in the shadows, ultimately darting towards a welcoming stranger in a closed off room with two others. The older and seemingly more experienced Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) explains to Mina where she is and what she was running from, although she wasn’t able to lay eyes on the mysterious creature. 

While in the room, she is given a little more backstory about two others she encounters: Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) and Ciara (Georgina Campbell, recently seen alongside Bill Skarsgärd in Barbarian). After some conversations, Mina learns that the group have given up hope about getting out of their situation. Mina, on the other hand, refuses to accept that this is her new home and begins to plot her escape. While they are not being held captive, they are going up against the daylight, which is the only time they can wander about the woods safely. This has become the sole reason they have opted to stay put in their new space: death awaits them if they get caught outside when the sun goes down.

The Watchers is one of those movies where you can’t say much out of fear of spoiling the very themes that are purposely kept unknown and out of trailers. Going into the flick, you are already anticipating a wild ride followed by a plot twist, especially when the director’s last name is Shyamalan. Taking a page out of her father’s book, she provides a series of turns that are exactly the type of ingredient we miss in cinema these days. The jump scares and weirdly formed “things” are what fans of sci-fi projects live for and want injected into their veins. 

The film has a 100-minute runtime, but the last 35 minutes will have you dialed in trying to predict what’s next to come. You’re guessing right up until the very last few minutes. Right when you think you’re coming down from the climax, you immediately realize you’re wrong to let that thought intrude.

This leg is perhaps the best part of The Watchers, deeming most of what you’ve seen before almost unnecessary as it does not contribute much to the story. The idea at hand is compelling and rather unique, but the fluff that leads up to it feels like underwhelming filler. To add to that, the characters are far from memorable, making it a smart move not to cast big name talent aside from Fanning. The 30-year-old’s performance is solid and provides viewers the opportunity to see her grow as an actress. She’s come a long way from the young girl we grew to love in Uptown Girl and I Am Sam.

One thing the film does well is setting the scene, with the gloominess and tall trees contributing to the sense of lonely isolation. You can’t help but feel thrown right into the mix along with the characters, which is important when trying to convey the real dire situation they are facing.

It isn’t likely that this flick will blow box office numbers out of the water, and that’s okay. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not. The Watchers is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel giving us faith that unique thrillers and sci-fi projects haven’t died. It is important to note that Shyamalan was 22 years old when putting this together, which is wildly impressive no matter what connections you have to directing. Knowing that, it is a no brainer that Ishana is destined to have a stellar career ahead of her.

The cast recently sat down with Black Girl Nerds to discuss their project; you can check out the interviews here. If you are a fan of the book, then you will enjoy the film, especially given the fact that A.M. Shine is credited as a writer. Many may not have even known this was a book adaptation, but that doesn’t take away from the story at all. Is it going down in the books as a classic? No. Is it enjoyable and not too predictable? Yes. Unless you have crazy surround sound at home, hit the theater to experience this one.

The Watchers releases June 7, 2024.