The Watchers--My Take on the Movie with spoilers!

 Plot: Mina is on her way to deliver a parrot when her car breaks down in the woods and she is trapped with three strangers in a shelter. Every night they are stalked by mysterious creatures.

Based on A.M. Shine's novel The Watchers, the movie doesn't offer anything new in terms of the story. There is no different take on the story which is disappointing considering there was potential for the director, Ishana Shyamalan, to deliver one of her father's trademark twist to the story.

Ishana Night Shyamalan makes her debut as a director for a feature film with The Watchers. While watching the movie, you may almost believe that she has either mimicked her father's storytelling style or perhaps allowed him to give his input.

But then you will notice the subtle differences. The scenes are a bit longer than they should be. The camera lingers long before the scene ends. Yet, the beautiful location is barely explored. Considering the characters were trapped in a forest, we get to see only glimpses of it and make out most of it through the rough map on the floor of the shelter.

The acting is decent, the story intriguing but the execution is clearly lacking. There is never enough focus on the characters and we never get to relate to them or sympathize with them.

For a movie that has a supernatural twist, every frame is bleak and dull. You may just find it hard to keep your eyes open and watch The Watchers.

THE WATCHERS Movie Summary

The movie opens with a man running about the forest. He looks desperate to escape and keeps turning his head back to keep an eye for threats.

He keeps coming to a sign that says Point of No Return. There are different numbers on them every time he approaches one.

Eventually, something pounces on him and he is dragged away. We don't get to see what took him.

We then meet Mina. It is actually a weary-looking Dakota Fanning who looks more disinterested than disturbed as her character is supposed to be.

She works at a pet store but spends most of her time sketching customers and looking out windows.

Her co-worker approaches her and tasks her with delivering a golden parakeet. He would have done it if he could, he says. But Mina says its fine and she will run that errand.

At night, she dons a brunette wig and goes into a bar and when someone approaches her, she uses a fake name.

When she returns home, she speaks to the parrot and names it Darwin. She explains she likes to pretend to be someone else sometimes because it makes her feel better.

The next day, she's off to deliver Darwin when suddenly her car breaks down near a forest. She proceeds to look for help and takes Darwin with her. 

When she can't find anyone about to help her, she decides to return to the car, but oh no, the car is nowhere in sight.

Mina keeps seeing girls running about and we see random flashbacks throughout the movie of her childhood.

Apparently Mina has a twin called Lucy. Mina was the bratty one and one day when she was in the car with her mother and sister, she was being insolent which led to her mother being distracted. They get into an accident and are thrown from the car. Mina remains unhurt but supposedly her mother has died and her sister ends up with a scar on her face.

Now back to the story.

Mina ends up hearing noises as it grows darker. A woman beckons her towards a cabin and practically drags her in.

Inside are two more people: Ciara and Daniel.

The older woman who had dragged Mina in introduces herself as Madeline.

Then she is told to stand near a mirror and hears applause. She then learns that she along with the others is being watched by entities known as The Watchers.

Mina is befuddled and doesn't believe any of this.

Morning comes and she heads out, determined to go as far away as possible from these crazy people. Ciara tells her to be careful while Madeline warns that she will not be able to leave the forest.

And so, Mina goes all around the forest, sees the sign boards the man had seen in the beginning, and realizes she doesn't know the way out. As it grows darker, she returns to the cabin.

The four sit at the table and let themselves be watched. Ciara tells them that the Watchers like it when she dances and so performs really awkwardly in front of them. Daniel puts on his own show to amuse the Watchers. Mina doesn't understand why she must entertain anyone.

Madeline then explains the rules. Basically, they can all walk about during the day and they must never open the door after dark.

Ciara tells Mina about her husband John, the man who was running about in the beginning. Apparently, he was trying to look for a way out but never returned.

Mina asks how long Ciara has been here and she replies that it may have been five months. Mina is shocked. No way does she want to live cooped up in the forest for a long time.

Daniel senses Mina is desperate to escape and asks her to partner with him to inspect the hole where the Watchers hide during the day.

Mina goes down the hole and finds a picture of a man and some odd artifacts. Just then she hears noises and sees the Watchers approach. Daniel pulls her out right on time.

Later that evening, there is a knock on the door just when Madeline is asking Mina what she did the whole day.

Ciara thinks it may be John and calls out. She hears his voice but Madeline is convinced that its a trick.

Ciara tells John to stand in front of the camera and is surprised to see her naked husband before her. She wants to open the door but Madeline asks her to trust her. She still believes it must be a trick to open the door.

Ciara asks John what book she was reading before they came here. John doesn't reply and is dragged away by the creatures.

This could have been a tense scene but it is not. There is no sense of dread and you don't find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat wondering if Ciara is going to open the door. The scene is right there but the atmospheric tension is missing.

Madeline questions Mina again and she reveals that she did go down the hole. Daniel supports her. Madeline reprimands them for breaking rules that have pissed off the Watchers.

The four end up arguing leading to Madeline and Mina ending up outside the cabin.

Madeline and Mina hide while the Watchers watch Ciara and Daniel in the cabin. After they leave, Madeline and Mina are allowed inside.

The four have been drawing a map of the forest on the floor every time they go out but still can't find a way out.

Eventually, they find a basement in the cabin. They search through it and find a video of the professor explaining his study of the forest and the creatures. His name was Rory Kilmartin and he explains how he thought the creatures were harmless but that they weren't. He kills himself but before that requests whoever is watching the video to destroy all his papers at the University.

He also hints about following a bird out of the forest.

The four decide to escape together.

THE WATCHERS Ending Explained

The four head out during the daytime and midway, release Darwin so that he can guide them out. They come across a stone disc with carvings that depict the stories of the fairies.

The fairies and humans lived together and even married one another. The fairies could change themselves to look like humans which they didn't enjoy. So the humans trapped the fairies inside a hole and kept them there. But the fairies want to live in the human world again.

The four stand around it oddly so that they can all be seen in one frame.

The four continue running about the forest and reach a lake where they find a boat.

Daniel gets distracted when he hears John's voice. Ciara literally tells him that's not her husband but Daniel doesn't listen and is instantly killed.

The three women escape in the boat while the fairies gather at the edge. They cannot leave the forest.

The three women end up outside the forest and even find a bus to take them to the city.

Mina visits the university and looks for Kilmartin's papers. She learns about creatures called halflings: half human and half fairy.

She then finds photographs which shock her.

She goes to see Ciara and builds up dramatic suspense about her findings. She shows her the photographs which are of the professor and his wife...Madeline.

Ciara is sort of shocked. Mina explains that Madeline is Kilmartin's wife but she died five years ago according to the obituary she found. Ciara reasons that Madeline would have told them if she was the wife.

Mina hears a car park in front of the house and sees Ciara get out. Mina realizes that she is sitting in front of Madeline who is a changeling.

The real Ciara is immediately knocked out while Mina is thrown about like a doll. Madeline reveals herself to be the creature Kilmartin was working with. Kilmartin wanted the changeling to take Madeline's form since he missed her.

But Madeline had escaped. The reason she can walk during the day and has compassion for humans is because she is a halfling.

Mina convinces her to search for others like her. Madeline sprouts her wings and flies away.

Later Mina is speaking to her twin Lucy and explaining how she still feels Madeline is around her taking different forms. Right now, she feels like she may be a little girl.

Mina has adopted Darwin and we will never learn if the customer was okay with the delay in the order and losing an expensive parakeet.

Under their building, a little girl watches Darwin flying about the apartment. She turns and her eye is just a little below the other. She's a fairy! A changeling!

And she is still keeping a watch on Mina.

The movie ends.

The Watchers has a promising story but its execution is dull and unsatisfactory.

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