M. Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin director) is a producer on The Watchers where his daughter Ishana Shyamalan makes her feature directorial debut. She has been a writer/director of six episodes of the TV series “Servant” and steps into this debut by adapting the A.M. Shine novel “The Watchers.”
Synopsis: The Watchers follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. You can’t see them, but they see everything.
While I know this is considered a horror film, The Watchers does have several elements of horror as can be seen in the trailer that has played in theaters, etc. over the last few weeks. There are plenty of scenes that might create nightmares for some, but since I have seen so many horror films over the last few years, this film does not have the gore and more that sometimes takes over the story in the script. I have not read the source material for the film, but by the film’s end, it certainly left me curious to read the novel.
Yes, there are creatures in the forest, but the focus is kept on the protagonist Mina (Dakota Fanning, The Equalizer 3, Ripley) who has gone on a work assignment (as in “road trip”) to make a delivery. Passing through an Irish forest, she is left stranded with no power (car or cell). As she seeks help and the sun is setting, she approaches a strange cabin. She meets the elder woman, Madeline (Olwen Fouere), and two younger persons, Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan, Outlander). The nervous and apprehensive Mina is not sure what is going on, asks questions and receives limited information at first. She is immediately told the ground rule for how to act as the sun sets. In this cabin, they are observed by mysterious creatures.
Madeline is the one who holds the history and knowledge of the cabin and contents. It is evident that she is not revealing anything she does not have to. Events happen as Mina and Daniel have desires to explore more on their own and eventually, they discover more about the area around them, the cabin and more, leading Madeline to take unexpected steps. There is the history of what has been, what it became and perhaps what the future will hold. I found the supernatural story entertaining.
I would recommend viewing The Watchers without any preconceived notions of what it will be. Enjoy it for the story being told and not wait to see a creature design not seen before, or just waiting to see who does or doesn’t leave the forest.
Produced by: M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad
Executive Producers: Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer
The Watchers opens in cinemas on 7 June.
Source: Warner Bros.
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