From the novel by A. M. Shine (we aren’t even going to pretend we’ve read, or even heard about this before the film), this story blends a good amount of quasi mythological elements with horror tropes. It consistently builds in ways you don’t see coming. And twists? Yeah there are a few…so the source material certainly sounds ripe for Blinding Edge Pictures to do their thing. And off we go.
Forget all you know, or think you know. Going into The Watchers, you might need to take a step back. Sure, this is a “Shyamalan” film, but Ishana’s, not M. Night. Strip away all pretense, and familial ties, and this is a very competent and textural adaptation that lets the lack of information carry the story and do the heavy lifting.
What The Watchers has right off the bat is mystery, intrigue and suspense – much the way that a Bond movie usually starts with a chase, or a mid-mission action scene. This is a world that we want to know more about, whether or not we want to find out what is making those bumps in the night.
There is an economy and cleanliness keeping things to a small cast of characters, whether that is directly taken from the novel or not. It’s nearly a one location type plot with very few safe zones, and it helps add tension. No one in the cast is particularly outstanding (which is on purpose), and these characters are meant to blend into this muted narrative. Who’s the hero? Who’s the audience surrogate? Who’s is the villain? It’s not straight forward, but then again what Shyamalan story is? Ishana has given us pieces to the puzzle but they are all turned upside down.
It’s both mysterious and frustrating when some intriguing bits of the story are begging for an explanation yet we get none. Ever. You can feel the audience wondering “what is this and why is this here?” It is artsy in that respect (think Willem Dafoe’s Inside) and comes in many forms replete with layered symbolism, color references, and some striking bits of visual echoing. Pretty? Yes. But captivating? Less so.
This isn’t close to Abrams or Lynch levels of lacking payoff, but still, this adds to the flavor of a story…even if every spice isn’t needed in the mix. To be honest, I got particular enjoyment from letting my mind wonder, not necessarily expecting to be spoon-fed. Deeper meanings (like the image below), visual references, and, again, lots of questions. Lots! Frustrating to some, but it can be explained away as kind of creative.
Ishana’s film is, in musical terms, like a song that climbs towards a swell. While it never has an earth-shattering crescendo, the satisfaction of story beats realized (or not) are as a smooth glass of tequila. To clarify, it is a Blanco, not Reposado. This film needed a little more time to mature. Still, it has its moments and you can bet there’s more fine storytelling ahead from Ishana, with or without her legendary father in her corner.
G-S-T RULING:
A welcomed debut from the scion of Shyamalan, this adaptation combines slow boil and mystery to produce a thriller that showcases expert pacing; the kind that results in plenty of “out of the frying pan” payoffs and pure cinematic quicksand. Ishana Night Shyamalan is out to make great things. This comes off modest, I’d even argue tame, yet there are hints of brilliance and home runs in her future. She’s got a great mentor, so we’ll see what happens.
