The Watchers Review – Middle of the Forest

Horror movies that mostly take place in one location can get boring quickly. Fortunately, The Watchers is creative enough to stop the experience from becoming boring. Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan (Servant), The Watchers is based on a book of the same name which was written by A.M. Shine. It follows a woman named Mina who journeys through an Irish forest to deliver a parrot to his new home. Along the way, Mina’s car breaks down and she finds herself stranded. Unfortunately for her, the forest is home to supernatural creatures who seemingly hunt anyone in the woods at night.

Thankfully, Mina comes across a shelter where three others are banding together to survive, standing in front of a window at night to appease the creatures. When it’s revealed that they can mimic voices, the group turns on each other. The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds) as Mina, Georgina Campbell (Barbarian), Olwen Fouéré (The Northman), and Oliver Finnegan (Outlander). It’s a supernatural horror movie with an interesting premise and an eerie atmosphere. 

Twists and Turns That You Might See Coming

The story is fairly simple. Mina ventures into the forest, she’s at odds with Madeline’s (Fouéré) rules in the shelter and tries to find a way to escape. There are some twists and turns that keep the horror film interesting, but some of those twists feel too predictable because of how they’re telegraphed beforehand. While it might be a tad simple and predictable, the film moves along at a good pace and is never boring. That’s because the characters aren’t given much to do, and when they face an obstacle, the issue is usually solved quickly. 

The four characters aren’t too distinct, because their motivations are aligned. They’re all either afraid or trying to escape. There are a couple of conflicts, with Daniel (Finnegan) and Madeline at odds. Ciara’s (Campbell) husband is also taken by the creatures at the start of the film, and they mimic him to try and toy with her. With all that being said Dakota Fanning gives a fine leading performance, with the rest being fairly average, not that there’s much for anybody to do.

But, by far, the most well-executed part of this film are the creatures themselves. The Watchers plays with the psychological impact of their power well. For a large part of the movie you’re left wondering what they are, and if there’s any deeper meaning to them or if they’re just generic creatures of horror. It’s here that the film shines. 

The Watchers is Impeccably Designed

The creatures in the film aren’t only great for the narrative, they’re also terrifying. They are mostly obscured by shadows until the last act and what we see is uncannily human and alien at the same time. These beings are tall and slender and move like animals. It’s not just the creatures that are well-designed either. Every location feels authentic, and when Mina maps out the forest there is a sublimely creepy and almost gothic aesthetic. While The Watchers isn’t overtly terrifying, it might get under your skin.

The score by Abel Korzeniowski (The Nun) undoubtedly helps that eerie feeling come across. It’s not supremely memorable but it works very well in tandem with the locations and creature designs. Where The Watchers stumbles most is with its dialogue. There’s so much exposition and many of the lines sound stiff. Yes, they are afraid and running on fumes to survive, but some more characterization would’ve been appreciated. There’s some characterization in Mina’s flashbacks, but those only serve to fill out one of the twists, and they aren’t substantive. 

While the pacing is great, it slows down to a crawl at the end. By then your hand will be held as you get through the last couple of twists only for there to be another five minutes after that. All in all, if you like creepy forest vibes, this might be the horror movie for you. There are some interesting ideas here, and they’re well-represented on the screen. But amid fine performances, a good score, and some interesting design choices, sits rough writing and obvious handholding. Who knows, maybe a more straightforward sequel would work better. 

You can catch The Watchers in theaters from June 7, 2024.