Studio: Warner Brothers/New Line Cinema
Release Date: 8/27/2024
Rating: PG-13
Film Grade: B-
The Story: The unexplored rural countryside of Ireland allows one’s mind to conjure up images of thick, foreboding darkness inhabited by strange creatures. Enter the wild forests of its west coast, much of it remaining unexplored to this day. It’s believed that there remains a mysterious area, that once you enter, you’re never allowed to leave.
It is through this forest that Mina needs to travel to deliver a rare bird to a customer of the pet shop she works for. Wouldn’t you know it, her car breaks down right in the heart of it, leaving her stranded in an area that doesn’t even have cell service. Sunlight is dwindling, so she and her bird head off looking for help. It isn’t long before we find out who else dwells in those ominous woods.
My Take: This is the first writing/directing feature for Ishana Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night, and she’s created a solid effort here. Based on a novel by A. M. Shine, the movie is a blend of fantasy, folklore, and a little bit of horror. Produced by her father, there are definite elements of the Shyamalan hallmarks. We have a mystery that slowly unfolds, themes of family, and a twist ending, albeit one you’re likely to see coming.
The cast is led by Dakota Fanning, as Mina, a woman who still hasn’t come to grips with an event from her tragic past. She’s good in this film, but the real standout is Olwen Fouéré, playing an authoritative, matriarchal figure who’s also trapped inside the treacherous forest. Anyone lamenting the lack of roles for older women should be happy with this entry.
There are some amusing extra bits in the movie, such as a scene that shows Mina sitting through a (fictional) reality show called Lair of Love, making the watched the watcher. Much of the rest of the movie lacks subtly, so there are heavy-handed allusions to the general situation, robbing it of a natural narrative. I’m being a little nit-picky, here, it’s not a movie that’s meant to be deep, rather one to just sit back and go along with it.
Visuals: With much of the film shot on location in Wicklow, Ireland, the deep, dark woods are appropriately dreary and unnerving, and never lacking clarity. The earthy colors evoke the natural setting, punctuated with arial shots of the lush green forest that perfectly portray the vast surroundings, enhancing the feeling of isolation.
Some of the visual effects are not up to par, as best seen in a climactic shot. I know it was partially intentional, but there is a lack of definition in the rendering that looks like bad CGI from two decades ago (Scorpion King, anyone?). It doesn’t harm the narrative of the story but does stick out in an unnecessary way. That particular shot could have been done more convincingly with practical effects, and I’m betting at a much lower cost. There’s also one sequence near the end of the film that is poorly staged or edited, to the point where it causes unnecessary confusion for the audience.
Audio: The disc features a good Atmos soundtrack. We actually hear flapping wings and squawking in the top speakers for a change, so it passes my personal Atmos bird test. The movie is mostly dialog heavy, which is clear throughout. When called for, there’s an effective use of all the surround channels, (including wides!), to produce excellent examples of both panning movement and pinpoint sound placement. Outdoor scenes have a good sense of openness and environmental effects. The soundtrack is fittingly orchestral, but not remarkable. It punctuates the right moments but is lacking in both nuance and innovation.
Special Features: The making-of segments are interesting, if on the shallow side of things, if you like seeing how things are made.
- Welcome to the Show: The Making of The Watchers
- Creating The Watchers
- Constructing the Coop
- Ainriochtán and the Irish Fairy Folklore
- Deleted Scene – Lair of Love
Final Verdict: While it’s marketed as a horror movie, it’s not particularly scary or gory, making it safe for gentler audiences. It’s more akin in spirit to a movie like Pan’s Labyrinth, although nowhere near the same league on an artistic level. Still, the story is interesting enough to keep one’s attention, and there are some good twists mixed with elements of suspense.
The elder Shyamalan’s movies have been hit and miss for me, tipping toward the miss side of things, but Ishana shows enough here for me to take notice. I didn’t love the movie, but did like it enough to add to our library at some point, and I’ll be looking out for what she does in the future.
Fun Fact: The prop for the DVD case of Lair of Love (Season 3) sports a back cover that’s riddled with spelling errors. Whether this is intentional or not is unknown, but it would fit in with one of the themes of the storyline.
As is all too common these days, the trailer gives away a bit too much of the story. I wouldn't recommend watching past the one-minute mark:
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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