THE WATCHERS
Theatrical release: JUNE 12, 2024
Duration: 1h42
Director: Ishana Shyamalan
Main actors: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré
Synopsis: Lost in a forest, Mina finds refuge in a house already occupied by three people. She will then discover the rules of this very secret place: every night, the inhabitants must allow themselves to be observed by the mysterious occupants of this forest. They can't see them, but they watch everything.
Ishana Shyamalan is a director whose last name is probably not unknown to you. Indeed, Ishana Shyamalan is the daughter of the master of the twist: M.Night Shyamalan.
For those who still don't know who it is, he is, among other things, the author of the films Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs and more recently Split.
The director's first film, The Watchers takes us to the forests of Ireland where strange phenomena take place. We follow Mina, an American working in a pet store, who will have to travel to deliver a precious bird. But on his way, his car breaks down in the middle of the forest. Completely lost, she will find refuge in a bunker where three people live. At nightfall, the protagonists will have to follow a ritual to survive.
The film itself would certainly not have hooked me since it is part of the type of films that I rarely see: Horror films. But when I learned that it was the daughter of the famous director who had made it, it piqued my curiosity.
Most directors' first films are a risk for them because they have to prove their ability to make films and find their style. But Ishana Shyamalan was surely immersed in her father's films during her youth because her style is close to them.
The Watchers is brilliantly executed for a first-time director behind a camera with a style that mixes horror, fantasy, myths and legends. All these styles intertwine harmoniously.
The action takes place in a dark forest which comes alive at nightfall. In this style, it could be similar to the Blairwitch project because the camera almost never shows the origin of the ambient noises, leaving the viewer to their own interpretation.
The fear of the dark or also called nyctophobia, we all faced it when we were younger. The fear of the unknown, the fear of not understanding what is happening in front of us, when our eyes see nothing and only our ears can interpret what is happening. This is the whole point of this film which in its first part plays with our senses.
Another point in common with the cinema of M. Night Shyamalan is the impression of slight strangeness in the words of the three protagonists who come to welcome Mina into their Bunker. Accompanied by a distressing and oppressive atmosphere, the questions that Mina asks herself will find their answers in a natural way without us being lost in the explanations. On this point, The Watchers surpasses Hypnotic , film directed by Quentin Tarantino's accomplice, Robert Rodriguez.
Like any self-respecting horror film, there are inevitably moments where the viewer is startled at the moment of jumpscares. If for me, this technique no longer scares me because I often find it predictable, I find that Ishana Shyamalan is innovative in her way of capturing fear. In this film, these are no longer tight shots on a bruised face. She uses nature, animals and even the environment to scare us. Just like the anamorphic silhouettes that we see approaching little by little.
There is no doubt that CGI had to be used in certain scenes, because the movements of the creatures are prey to doubt. But make no mistake, it can be practical effects and disguises as well as in the film The Last Journey of Demeter, where the vampire was nothing more than a skinny actor in makeup.
In the main role, we will find Dakota Fanning that we could see in the masterful interpretation of this young girl in the film War of the Worlds. But Ishana Shyamalan also surrounded herself with experienced actresses for her film, sinceOlwen Fouéré (The Northman) and Georgina Compbell (Black Mirror, Bird Box: Barcelona) are part of the cast. Overall, the actors are well directed and the writing of the characters helps with their interpretation.
The film progresses steadily in the plot and the film is never too long. The mysteries of this forest are revealed little by little and give substance and rhythm to the film which can be watched without ever getting tired.
The film's soundtrack is well tuned with violins and lyrical singing which accentuate the dramatic and distressing scenes. This makes me think even more of Scotland.
There would only be one thing to criticize about the film, it's the moment where things take a turn: The car breaks down. The scene is a bit conventional and falls a bit like a hair in the soup. We don't really know how and why it breaks down without there being a phenomenon to explain it. But that said, the scene is quick and we move on.
For a first film, it's very successful from a young director. We will have to follow it closely because it may have some surprises in store for us in the future.
And one thing leads to another, Night Shyamalan will release his next film in August under the name Trap, the trailer for which seems to bode well for us.
