Is The Watchers actually worth watching? The off-beat folk horror (which serves as the feature debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan) was once one of the most intriguing offerings of 2024, but a near-unanimous wave of bad reviews quelled its promise in a hurry. Ishana’s famous father, M. Night Shyamalan, has long been considered a “misunderstood” filmmaker. And though Ishana started strong on the small screen, directing some great episodes for Apple TV’s The Servant, the dismal reception to The Watchers felt a lot like history repeating.
Admittedly, there are more than a few similarities between The Watchers and any of M. Night’s more popular films, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Those who appreciate the milky, dreamlike cinematography of The Village, the dark fairytale at the heart of Lady in the Water, or the surreal line-readings in Trap will find something to like in The Watchers. But Shyamalan is also her own filmmaker, with a unique vision that’s only just beginning to emerge. The Watchers definitely speaks to her potential, some of it still unrealized — but given its newfound success on Netflix’s Top 10, it’s probably wise not to dismiss her first film as a total wash.
