It’s truly disheartening to inform a newcomer that they might have chosen the wrong profession, much like Ishana Night Shyamalan seems to have taken a misstep, reminiscent of the protagonist in her debut film. Knowing her father Manoj Night Shyamalan’s likely reaction makes this critique even more daunting. Ishana’s debut film, ‘The Watchers’ disappoints irreparably. The film is trapped in utter mediocrity, resembling an irredeemable sociopath driven by sheer indifference.
Hours after viewing, one lingering question dominates thoughts: why was this film made? Why didn’t Ishana’s father, known for his expertise in horror, intervene to prevent a plot that wades so shallowly into darkness that it seems destined to be lost?
The film’s protagonist, Mina, works in a pet shop in Ireland—an intriguing premise for a horror film. However, Mina herself proves to be the most intriguing aspect, as the plot denies her any opportunity to engage in meaningful actions, despite desperate cries for substantial revision.
Why does Mina have a twin named Lucy instead of the expected Nina? Lucy’s role in the plot invites inertia and flirts with insignificance. Rather than evoke fear, the narrative fails to cultivate empathy for characters who recite their lines like fortune cookie messages.
Mina, by the way, has been estranged from her twin sister Lucy since their mother’s death. Mina is portrayed as sharp and spirited, a quality Dakota Fanning brings to the screen, reminiscent of her childhood role in ‘I Am Sam’, where she sparred with Sean Penn. Now grown, Dakota struggles to find her place in a script that requires a planchette to resurrect it from its lifelessness.
As Mina ventures into a Belfast forest to deliver an exotic parrot, the screenplay loses its way. Why this journey? Why a parrot and not a rabbit? The forest scene, intended to unravel the plot, becomes as dense and impenetrable as the foliage that surrounds it.
Scenes depicting Lucy confined in ‘The Coop’ with other inmates who resemble listless zombies are so dull that they test our endurance.
And who are these ‘watchers’? Could they be disgruntled remnants of Manoj Shyamalan’s former fan club?
Compounding viewer frustration is the film’s dim lighting, both literally and metaphorically. While the narrative is steeped in darkness akin to Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’, the screen remains perpetually dim, a staple of horror films.
Speaking of horror, there isn’t a single jump scare or even a mildly chilling scene. This prompts the question once more: Is Manoj Night Shyamalan certain his daughter is headed in the right direction?