Muses of Media

“I’m not supposed to be here, and I’m not staying here.” -Mina

The Watchers, a supernatural horror film, is the directorial debut of the talented Ishana Night Shyamalan. Adapted from A. M. Shine’s novel, the narrative follows Mina, a young American woman stranded in an uncharted forest. She is confined in a peculiar concrete shelter with three strangers. The quartet is under surveillance and stalked by enigmatic creatures each night, visible only through a one-way mirror. These creatures, who can see them, remain a mystery to the humans, heightening the suspense and intrigue of the plot.

The Watchers opens with a brief setup of the eerie, ancient woods that serve as the film’s backdrop. Ishana Night Shyamalan’s visual storytelling skills shine through, as her meticulous attention to colour palette and sound design effectively creates a heightened feeling of anxiety and fear. The forest, a character in its own right, plays tricks on its victims, with something sinister burrowing beneath the ground. The birds fleeing signify danger, and when the creature is revealed (off-screen), it is something impossible to comprehend, adding to the film’s visual intrigue.

We are then introduced to Mina (Dakota Fanning), an enigmatic American woman residing in Ireland. Her intriguing personality is revealed as we see her after a day’s work at a pet shop, embarking on a nightly adventure where she adopts a new identity to seduce a man at a bar. The next day, she sets off on a journey to Belfast to deliver a parrot. As we accompany her on the drive, we catch glimpses of Mina and her peculiarities, fostering a sense of connection with the character. However, before she can fully captivate us, Mina finds herself lost in the forest, in imminent danger from unknown creatures.

This opening is not inherently troubling, but Shyamalan makes choices that indicate that her confidence in herself and her story could be improved; she stumbles right out the gate and never regains balance from the onset. From the opening shot to when Mina runs into the coop (a single room made up of three walls and a large one-way window) thanks to Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) opening the door to her, Shyamalan deploys narration and dialogue that has no purpose other than for Mina to hear her voice. Instead of simply allowing the audience to watch and observe Mina, Shyamalan immediately tells us what we need to notice.

The writing becomes increasingly difficult to stomach as Mina finds herself in the company of 3 strange individuals who are also trapped in the forest. Ciara (Georgina Campbell), Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) and Madeline (Fouéré) follow strict rules to survive, but things are about to change with Mina’s arrival. Madeline stresses to Mina the importance of compliance, but Mina proves to be tough to conform to any rules, and we get that through some well-crafted scenes of Mina navigating life in the coop in the early days. 

However, more is needed with her character. Her defiance is apparent, but the most significant missing ingredient in The Watchers is the interpersonal dynamics with Mina being added to the equation. She is different, someone who knows how to read people and adapt to what she sees, something that is heavily mirrored throughout the concept of the story. Madeline goes so far as to accuse her of being selfish and manipulative, which are implied throughout the story but never explored. The dots are not connected in any exciting way.

To the absolute shock of no one, Shyamalan takes after her father as her first horror has a “twist,” but sadly, this twist hardly lands; you see it coming a mile away. The reason excitement and thrill feel absent in this story is that the characters are hardly utilized in any interesting manner, and the moments of fear and intensity are fleeting. The Watchers is significantly aided by Shyamalan’s eye for visuals, the cinematography by Eli Arenson, and Abel Korzeniowski’s score. However, the story severely lacks the kinetic energy that keeps us engaged. As we barrel toward the third act, the exposition becomes unbearable. It’s unfortunate, but the execution of this narrative is in more ways than one hindered by the desire to build up to a “twist” when the real excitement comes from the psychological warfare that could be taking place within the coop, under the watchful eye of the Watchers. Mina versus Madeline, Mina versus the Watchers, and Mina versus herself are threads that are partially followed but are ultimately dropped for predictive and dull writing.

I commend Ishana Night Shyamalan for closely following in her father’s footsteps as he continues to develop his auteur niche in the horror thriller genre. Still, I fear that the younger Shyamalan has learned all the wrong lessons from him. She has an eye for framing, creating tension through subtle imagery and establishing the necessary unnerving aura. However, like the elder Shyamalan, pacing, plotting, character development, and writing are areas of struggle. Well-timed jump scares, creepy noises, and exciting creature designs are the minimum. Ultimately, Shyamalan’s approach to telling this story follows a sadly predictable path, when many interesting twists and turns appear frequently throughout. Perhaps stepping away from this genre and its subcategories is the best idea moving forward. That said, there is still hope for a promising career ahead for Shyamalan.

The Watchers is now playing in theatres.