The apple does not fall far from the tree... But I wish that apple rolled down the hill just a wee little bit.

| Jul 13, 2024

As imperfect as this hushed supernatural chiller may be, the demons it conjures up — both real and metaphorical — left a lasting impression, and that’s nothing to scoff at.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 28, 2024

The Watchers is not nearly as cerebral; it's less a political (or showbiz) allegory than a fable about our shared capacity for change. It's a theme that's ultimately addressed so plangently that it has the opposite effect and borders on goofiness...

| Jun 15, 2024

Anyone who goes in with the wrong expectations will probably just find The Watchers baffling. It has its share of creepy moments, rising tension, and sudden-blast-of-music jump scares, but as a suspense story, it fizzles out surprisingly early.

| Original Score: 67/100 | Jun 14, 2024

The Watchers is a sharply satisfying horror thriller thanks to a crackling cast, unnerving sound design, stomach-churning creatures, and an emotional story that offers far more than cheap thrills.

| Jun 14, 2024

Intriguingly cloaked in erudite allusions to Irish legend and fairytale, it refrains from proselytising while keeping you guessing until the final flourish.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 14, 2024

Abel Korzeniowski’s portentous score does pair nicely with Eli Arenson’s lush and moody cinematography. But the script... is a muddle of expository conversation, half-developed threads, and plot holes wider than the Watchers’ traps.

| Jun 14, 2024

Ishana may well have a shining career in horror ahead of her—if she can escape the narrative sins of her father.

| Jun 13, 2024

Fanning often deploys an unsentimental reserve that's very effective from a dramatic standpoint. Here, it provides a steady counterpoint to the predictably bananas plot.

| Jun 11, 2024

On the evidence of this uneven folk horror, Shyamalan shares with her father a knack for crafting atmosphere... But she also demonstrates the Shyamalan family trait of leaning on inelegant chunks of exposition and blunt weapon third-act plot ambushes.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 10, 2024

It’s “No Exit” reimagined as an escape room, and you’re stuck with your crazy aunt.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jun 8, 2024

Between the clunky narrative and the Interesting Shots, you feel defeated by both show and tell.

| Jun 8, 2024

The Watchers is clearly a first film, with the promise and the problems that come with it.

| Original Score: C+ | Jun 8, 2024

The Watchers otherwise does a disappointing amount of telling rather than showing when it comes to the tedium and the tension of being cooped up and on display.

| Jun 8, 2024

Though Ishana Night Shyamalan demonstrates promise as a filmmaker and delivers some arresting visuals and a few good jump-scares, The Watchers feels like a cover band’s take on familiar scary movie themes, with little in the way of original ideas...

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 7, 2024

Pacing is a conspicuous problem and the rushed third act threatens to crumble as The Watchers becomes overloaded with revelations and mythology that strain a foundation barely braced to hold their weight.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 7, 2024

Ishana Night Shyamalan's debut film is a twisty, high-concept mystery/dark fairy tale. It's also a pale imitation of her father’s patented style.

| Original Score: 1/4 | Jun 7, 2024

An uneven narrative and lack of tension make for a droll horror fairy tale that doesn’t quite trust its audience to follow along.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 7, 2024

Fanning brings her A-game and there’s enough mystery about the monsters in the woods to string audiences along until the satisfyingly weird finish. As mid-list horror goes, perfectly fine.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 7, 2024

The tone is earnestly odd, taking folklore dead seriously. We’re captive to rules laid down by Fouéré’s witchily intense Madeleine... But the script’s payoffs are way too feeble to justify our growing impatience, and the pacing’s a trudge.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 7, 2024