One of this year’s horror movie flops is now getting a second chance on streaming.The Watchersis a horror thriller fromIshana Night Shyamalanin her feature film directorial debut, andit is streaming now on Max. Based on the novel by A.M. Shine.The Watchersfeatures a mysterious premise and shocking twists, and finds Ishana is following in the footsteps of her legendary father,M. Night Shyamalan, who serves as a producer.
In the film, an American artist named Mina (Dakota Fanning) gets lost in a dense forest in Ireland, but finds an older woman and a bunker called “The Coop.“Mina learns the people in “The Coop” are being “watched” by unseen strangers through a mirrored window.Not following the rules or leaving “The Coop” means death, and Mina must find a way to escape her mysterious captors.The Watchersalso features a twist endingthat might remind viewers of one of Ishana’s father’s films.
The Watchers
In addition to Fanning,The WatchersstarsGeorgina Campbell(Barbarian) as Ciara, Olwen Fouéré as Madeline, Oliver Finnegan (Outlander) as Daniel, and Alistair Brammer as John. While the film has received a lot of criticism, one of the common areas of praise has been the cast. Fanning has proven herself to be an excellent dramatic actress, as her work inThe AlienistandRipleyhas shown, and she’s very good in the lead role. Kim Newman ofEmpire Magazinenoted “Fanning brings her A-game” to the role.
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After the Watchers failed to captivate audiences and critics, Stay in the Light inexplicably continues the saga.
The Critical Response toThe Watchers
Critics were not kind to the film, giving it a 32% Tomatoscore onRotten Tomatoes. Richard Roeper ofThe Chicago Sun Timessaid"The Watchersfeels like a cover band’s take on familiar scary movie themes, with little in the way of original ideas.“Sarah Michelle Fetters ofMovieFreak, however, gave it a positive review, saying"As imperfect as this hushed supernatural chiller may be, the demons it conjures up…left a lasting impression, and that’s nothing to scoff at.”
The film premiered in June, in the midst of the summer movie season, and the lack of positive buzz showed at the box office.The film grossed only $19 million domestically and $33 million worldwide during its theatrical run, against a $30 million budget.It’s a terrible performance by any metric for a major studio film given a wide release in over 3,300 theaters. By comparison,Deadpool & Wolverinemade $24 millionon its first Monday after release.
WhileThe Watchershas its flaws, its moody atmospheric presence, strong performances, and asolid twist ending are worth a watch. The audience score at Rotten Tomatoes was 52%, which isn’t fresh, but far better than what the critics gave it. The influence of Ishana’s father is obvious, and offers more positives than negatives.The Watchersmay not be the best thriller to be released this year, but it is certainly worth a watch.
The Watchersis currently streaming on Max.
