‘The Watchers’ (2024)

It’s hard to make a bad horror movie. Even at its worst, the genre is almost exempt from a label of unenjoyable. When the performances are terrible, we laugh harder. When the story makes no sense, at the very least we revel at the gore. Despite this, M. Night Shyamalan has managed to make some truly terrible horror films, making The Watchers a film he produced, hard to get excited for.

He might not be in the director’s chair, but The Watchers has all of the familiar trappings of a Night Shyamalan disappointment. A main character carrying unprocessed trauma, finds themselves in a mysterious location, governed by simple rules that exist to be broken almost instantly. Dakota Fanning plays the main character, who stumbles on an enchanted forest. Survival instincts kick in and she decides to leave, yet the forest has other plans. She then finds sanctuary with a group of other prisoners, and quickly learns she’s entertainment for mythical beings known only as the watchers.

What brings the film down isn’t its premise. Instead it’s the characters and their completely unrelatable demeanour. Nothing about their take on the situation they’re in rings true. When faced with the impossible Dakota Fanning looks mildly bothered and mostly aloof. Her newfound companions behave like a cult, yet we’re meant to feel sympathy for them. It all leads to a series of scares that while crafted well, get the wind knocked out of them thanks to characters you care little for.

One thing the film succeeds in is the establishment of mood. The damp dreary forest is rife with terrors, and the film builds suspense with a story that’s captivating. That is until it isn’t. Like a Shyamalan film does, the mystery presented grips you, but only leads to a bizarre and dizzying reveal that’s frustratingly silly.

With all of its drawbacks, The Watchers is a film that manages to keep your attention and despite having a lacklustre ending, it is admittedly thrilling. Logically it makes no sense, but there’s entertainment to be found in its build-up, and its ending is bizarre enough to at least be so bad it’s good. It’s not a great film by any stretch, but for a horror film night with your closest fanatics, it’s a decent choice.

Rating: Catch it on able

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.