"The Watchers" provides an interesting premise at face value. Horror movies that involve a twist on folk stories accompanied with an eerie location usually pair well together and in this case, it does.
Ishana Night Shyamalan's directorial debut is one to be proud of. You can clearly see sprinkles of her father's style imbedded in the film but also boasts her own unique vision.
In regards to the plot, the story is interesting enough to keep you invested throughout the duration. It reveals just enough to ask questions but not enough to give them away.
The design of the "Watchers" is the highlight of the film. Without spoiling too much, every time they were on screen I was fully engrossed. Enough was shown of them that made me wanting to see more.
The worst unfortunately, are the characters which were one dimensional and lacking realism. They acted in ways no human would in this situation, especially the lead. A good horror movie requires realistic and likeable characters to vouch for. "The Watchers" struggled to create such.
As most horrors unfortunately do, "The Watchers" does have some moments that I found a bit silly. Moments where you ask yourself "why would she do that" or "why did that happen like that". Such moments didn't help the film.
I was skeptical towards the beginning on the film, thinking that it would meander in its plot and ultimately be repetitive. However, as the film progressed and its locations changed it kept the story fresh and wanting more. The ending boarded on lacklustre however, I didn't mind that it didn't get too ridiculous and over the top. Felt more realistic and poignant.
Overall, a decent debut film that highlighted a fresh look at folk-lore. The frustrating characters and some silly moments did prevent it from being great. 6.4/10 for me.
