Close Menu
  • Gaming
    • Game Guides
    • Codes
    • Game News
    • Game Previews
    • Game Reviews
    • Game Features
    • Game Lists
    • Platforms
      • Nintendo
      • PC
      • PlayStation
      • Xbox
      • Mobile
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Movie Features
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV
    • Reality TV
    • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • Human Interest
  • Astrology
  • Videos
  • More
    • Anime
    • Lists
    • Podcasts
    • Reviews
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
  • About Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Advertising Policy
The Nerd Stash
  • Gaming
  • Celebrity
  • Human Interest
  • Videos
The Nerd Stash
Home»Movie Reviews»The Watchers Review – Middle of the Forest

The Watchers Review – Middle of the Forest

Who watches The Watchers?

Tristyn AkbasBy Tristyn AkbasJune 9, 20244 Mins Read
Dakota Fanning in the horror movie The Watchers.
Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures YouTube

Skip To...

  • Twists and Turns That You Might See Coming
  • The Watchers is Impeccably Designed

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 itโ€™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 Fouรฉrรฉ (The Northman), and Oliver Finnegan (Outlander). Itโ€™s a supernatural horror movie with an interesting premise and an eerie atmosphere.ย 

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 (Fouรฉrรฉ) 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. Thatโ€™s because the characters arenโ€™t given much to do, and when they face an obstacle, the issue is usually solved quickly. 

Related:

In a Violent Nature Review โ€” A Shocking Return for the Slasher Genre

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. Ciaraโ€™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 youโ€™re left wondering what they are, and if thereโ€™s any deeper meaning to them or if theyโ€™re just generic creatures of horror. Itโ€™s here that the film shines. 

The Watchers is Impeccably Designed

The forest boundary sign in The Watchers
Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures YouTube

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.

Related:

Does The Watchers Have a Post-Credits Scene?

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 wouldโ€™ve been appreciated. Thereโ€™s some characterization in Minaโ€™s flashbacks, but those only serve to fill out one of the twists, and they arenโ€™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 theyโ€™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.

The Watchers Review

5.5 Average

The Watchers is a fine horror film that has well-designed creatures, but itโ€™s let down by clunky dialogue and bland characters.

Pros
  1. The creatures are eerily terrifying and well-designed.
  2. The score accompanies the spooky environment well.
  3. Fine performances, with Dakota Fanning standing out.
Cons
  1. Stiff dialogue riddled with exposition.
  2. The twists are predictable and too telegraphed.
Related Topics
Dakota Fanning The Watchers
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Email
Tristyn Akbas
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)

Tristyn Akbas graduated from the University of New South Wales in the fields of film and writing. He is a movie buff and video game all-rounder who loves everything pop culture. In his spare time you'll find him at the theater or working on earning his next platinum trophy.

SUGGESTED READS

rarest DVD horror movies from the 1980s
Movie Lists

The Top 10 Rarest ’80s DVD Horror Movies Worth a Small Fortune

Mortal Kombat 2 first promo images without Cole Young
Movie News

Mortal Kombat 2 Promo Images Are Here With No Sign of Cole Young; Excellent!

A shot from Mickey 17
7
Movie Reviews

Mickey 17 Review – An Imperfect Dystopia

Sonic advice Shrek 5
Human Interest

Sonic Offers His Advice to Shrek on How to Get a Glow-up: ‘That’s How U Know It’s Bad ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ™’

A shot from Captain America: Brave New World
Movie News

Washington Movie Theater Collapses During Captain America: Brave New World Screening, Neither Viewer Injured

A shot from the Shrek 5 trailer
Movie News

Zendaya Joins Shrek 5 Cast As the Ogre’s Teenage Daughter

Trending
Texas Man records a package thief stealing boxes off the porch

Texas Man Comes up With โ€˜Epicโ€™ Idea To Get Revenge on Porch Pirates: โ€˜This Is Genius’

Florida bride has special moment with two fathers at wedding

Florida Bride’s Father Shocks Guests At Wedding When He Sees Her Stepdad In Crowd: ‘Cries In Daddy Issues’

A picture of the Texas police impersonator.

Texas Police Impersonator Ambushes Couple and Ends Up Crawling For His Life: โ€˜He Literally Turned Into a Wormโ€™

MAGA Supporter With a Megaphone Harasses Safeway Protestors in Colorado

MAGA Supporter With a Megaphone Harasses Safeway Protestors in Colorado: ‘Couldn’t Even Make the Cut for ICE So He Had to Settle For This’

The Nerd Stash
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
  • About Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Advertising Policy
© 2025 The Nerd Stash. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.