The Watchers (2024) Review + Book Discussion
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- The Watchers is a directorial debut from Ishana Shyamalan, how did she live up to her namesake?
Intro 00:00
Spoilers 12:24
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the rug scene reallllly bothered me. I'm like "really? you've been here for months."
Omg same!!!
Immediately noticed that Billy the Puppet wasn't in his usual spot on the shelf and became convinced he was going to jump out at you from nowhere. Made for an appropriately tense viewing experience.
Watching this while in Ireland and living in the countryside in Ireland was a fun experience
As a person who lives surrounded by forests in the middle of nowhere I love movies like this too😂
reviews like this are such great counterweights to hot takes and really make me appreciate your honesty! on a purely selfish note i appreciate knowing what movies fall into the "by no means a masterpiece but a fine time with nothing that will wreck your day" bucket because that means i can go see it on a random day after work and not feel like i'm excluding my friends lol. looking forward to your horror icks!
also as a fellow aspiring writer i always get excited when you mention your writing
I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t very scary at all, but the visuals were gorgeous and I really liked the plot and how mystical it turned out to be. Also, Dakota is one of my all time faves so seeing her back in horror was amazing. And I loved the climax in the house!
100% agree with you about both the film and the book just being okay. Definitely preferred the unsettling ending in the book though. Ishana has a lot of potential. I'd like to see her direct an original story
She certainly hasn't gotten all lame and STUPID like her dad's crappy films, he is just phoning it in at this point
The first half of the movie, kept us glued to the chair and very interested to see what happens. We also didn't read the book.
But then, when it got more into the folklore and reveled more and more...it got a little boring and it lost that mystery that the movie had and it shouldn't have happened.
I wasn't particularly mad or upset about the movie, but I left the cinema with just a lot of questions and a feeling of wanting more. I think part of what detracted from the viewing experience for me (SPOILERS) was that I didn't really feel threatened by the Watchers. I was curious, and wanted the main group to be able to escape, but the fact that they could walk around all day, and that Mina immediately broke almost every 'rule' without much happening, it meant I wasn't really on the edge of my seat tense. At one point Mina and Madeleine are out after dark, in the middle of the Watchers, and they just go unnoticed. Even the professor was able to capture one and hold it hostage, making them feel pretty easy to outsmart. If anything it was the forest that was the biggest threat, and I'm still not sure whether the disorientation and time changes had anything to do with the Watchers themselves, or if that was just magic in the forest in general.
I feel so stupid for not realizing it was based off the book 'The Watchers', lol. I gave that book 4/5 stars, I throughly enjoyed it and enjoyed the concept. I read it last year without knowing it was becoming a movie! Thank you for your insights. Sad to hear it wasn't fantastic, but also nice to have a movie that's just a decent movie. Not everything has to be life changing!
The movie was actually really good. As long as you keep your cynicism at bay you will enjoy it
@@dbgreene9020 Okay! I'm not too picky with movies, so that's good to hear.
I totally agree that this movie had a lot of potential. I feel like there were a lot of interesting symbols/themes (bird in a cage, humans destroying the environment, the parallels between the reality show and being watched in the coop) but they were underutilized and went nowhere. I also felt like some choices were silly like her walking into the forest yelling after her car broke down or them never looking under that rug. It was a fine movie but I hope her future projects come together better.
“i’m ok with some nepotism” LMAOOO 😂
I about died. 😂😂
Yeah it’s funny that feminists who are against nepotism usually are okay if it’s a woman who benefits from it
Just like sexist men are okay when a man benefits from it
That may speak to our base issue right there Lot of subjectivity when it comes to these things
She’s also trying to really really go to bat for the woman who made this movie Like she basically said the script was terrible but the director managed to salvage it But it turns out that the director wrote the script lol
Talk about foot in mouth
edit - She did admit to her bias though at the end So that’s good All people want is honesty So good on her for that
Still it was clear that she didn’t enjoy this movie and just wanted to try and do whatever she could to make sure as many people watch it as possible while still sort of being honest
@@WdawgSmith I'd argue that it's also because it's a Shyamalan. She is in support of passing the torch, so to speak.
I enjoyed this movie. I'm a fan of fantasy horror. It gave me Men, A Quiet Place, Bird Box vibes
Men is so underrated!
Men was definitely insane
I liked that this movie didn’t rely too heavily on jump scares. The millions of plot twists were a little much but I thought the initial one was interesting.
In Ireland this movie is called The Watched, for some reason.
And in the UK too!
I just watched it 2 days ago and personally I loved it, but not gonna lie, the internal hype of [Spoiler warning]
the internal hype of FAERIE HORROR might have overrode all of my other thoughts lol
You sure you're not lying? 😆
I feel the same way. I won’t say I loved it but I liked it a lot except the rushed ending. I liked the pacing otherwise and cinematography . I thought it was cool to have a fae horror movie . I’d give it a 3.7/5
I'm seated!! Been waiting for your review of this
That lady with the white hair was also in Tarot lol
Omg you’re right haha
The lady with the white hair is also Sally from the original texas chainsaw massacre.
Great video! You're really good at being clear in your narration while also sounding natural. Also, the part where the loud car goes by made me LOL
As a historian, there are many stories like this through antiquity (in the bible and apocryphal texts) they are called The Watchers! Saw thia as much more than a fairy horror film. Actually felt closer to a spiritual successor to Signs.
Was thinking about this as well, the watchers in the bible. I actually expected them to be something closer to angels than faeries.
@@kuutti6777 in a couple of the historical images they showed, they definitely looked like angels and the whole "they were gods among men" also gave me angel vibes lol
i thought the same thing about signs! specifically in the the fingers coming out of the dark (like the fingers under the door in signs), the videos of one of the watchers, and the general design, which i think is why sarah thought the look of them felt older- it felt very much like the aliens in signs!
I never read the book but i really thought the twist had something to do with the main character as she would mimic her mom, her sister's recording etc. i thought maybe she would use this to 'distract' or convince a watcher that she too was a watcher, idk lol. The movie had great shots but i felt the story dragged a bit and as you said, felt rushed at the end.
Also, i was rolling my eyes at the whole half human half faerie thing, "our kinds loved each other so don't kill me" and then madeleine gets her wings??? It was giving ghost redeems themself and now can pass into thr afterlife 😂
Omg would leave to read your writing!!! Hopefully you release something in the future! ❤
Hopping to hear your thoughts on “I saw the TV glow”. The first video of yours I ever watched was your opinion of “We’re all going to the world’s fair”.
can we also appreciate that the Shyamalan family is giving us original movies ?? lol . one of the things I admire M night is that he has never released franchises sequels. Here hoping for the bright future she has and hoping people can stop comparing her to her father
It’s not original it’s from a book like??????😭😭😭😭
@@Jinxypoo100Yeah and so was Knock at the Cabin…
@@Jinxypoo100 first movie adaptation at least !! And she did write the script . What I meant is that is not a franchise sequel
i think unbreakable, glass and split are in a series
@@nileshollowthornand Old. Well, the good parts of Old were from a book. The parts that are all Shayamalan are painfully obvious 🙄
I'm finally into horrors and going to the cinema to see them so listening now to your reviews is more exciting to me, I was watching them regardless because I like you and I miss your vlogs, but hearing your opinion on a thing I've seen myself is pretty cool 💖💖💖💖💖
Just watched it today and came running to see if you had reviewed it!
No more bird jump scares. Needs to be on a shirt.
They occur in real life, though! 😂😂 🐔 🕊️🐦🦅🦃🦉
Maybe frogs? Hop scare
A bird jump scare is one step above a cat jump scare though
can we add no more parents dying in a car accident because of some dumb argument? Like, PLEASE lmao
I’ve been waiting on this from you!! Just so happened to come out while I’m on my lunch break. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!
I read the watchers a few years ago and my immediate reaction was "this would've been better as a movie" - it just felt like the visuals and reveals would be more impactful on screen, so i was really excited to hear it was getting adapted! i agree that the book was very okay and i'm disappointed the movie didn't quite deliver, but I'll still watch :)
i literally just watched this last night so perfect timing!
It would be sooo great if you could do another movie on being a TH-camr. Your channel and personality are goals, I look up to and would love to hear more about your philosophy and strategy how you grew your channel.
Good review and cool video Sarah!👉🙂👈
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I do wish that there were more horror elements cause the little that we did get I did really enjoy. I loved the atmosphere, the imagery was beautiful and I liked the ending though I wish we got just a little bit more. I really liked the concept and I wish they would’ve just pushed the envelope a little bit more. I ended up giving it a 3/5 ⭐️
Bird jump scares are such a specific thing but it happens so often 😅
Hey Queen, you’ve gotten me back into horror recently and I think I’ve watched all of your videos recently. I just love you so much lmao
Why u talking to her like u know her, parasocial
@@oceanlawnlove8109 says the dude going and replying to me. Just say you are jobless and move on🤷🏻♀️
Honestly, I'm SOOO excited for her next film❤ This wasn't the best but she definitely has ammmmazing potential as a director (even as a script writer)!!! I will definitely be following her career & I think she might shock us SO much in the future🎉❤🎉
omfg so excited for your horror movie icks video
I like the combination of book and movie reviews in this video. I wouldn't mind seeing this again, including with some older films/books.
I was anticipating this one for a similar reason, as well as the fact that I LOVE Dakota Fanning & always want to see her in more. She was for sure the stand out for me. I enjoyed the start & the build up to the last 30 or so minutes… but yeah it completely fell off the rails for me & tried to do too much at the end, in my opinion.
unrelated but im obsessed with your shirt
hey sarah, have you seen/plan on seeing red rooms 2023? i just watched it last night after searching for it for ages, i thought it was sooooo good and would love to hear your thoughts!
I'm stopping a quarter way in. I'm going to see this tomorrow. I adore Dakota Fanning and M. Night. Super pleased his daughter has jumped in and looking forward to see what she brings to film. I know I will return with lots to say, lol. 💕
Follow up, I loved this movie so much. I have zero complaints. The visuals were beautifully done.
I did not read the book, so I enjoy it so much more than you did! I found it unique and fun
I was so excited for this movie but unfortunately it was pretty disappointing 😢.
There was a lack of character background story. This made me not care if they died or not. The scenes were lacking tension and felt rushed. If the movie was a bit longer it maybe could’ve been better.
Although the book has its shortcomings, it still made me scared at certain moments wondering what would happen next. Unfortunately this didnt properly translate in the movie.
The book was better and that’s saying a lot because I wasn’t all that geeked about the book. I gave it 2 stars. Too much purple prose for me and ended into nowhere. The last line of the book I was hoping they would do in the movie, but alas, didn’t happen. Thank you for reviewing both. I prefer to read the book before watching the movie and it’s nice to see someone else do the same :)
FIRST 🖤🖤🖤
was waiting for this review lol
I really liked the movie, more than I thought I would. The lore is so interesting, I’ve watched a couple movies about fae/changelings. I was not expecting the twist & I loved that!! I look forward to more work from Mrs. Shahmaylan (sp) also the bird was the standout of the movie 😂😂😂
This one is just like Knock at the cabin of last year. The concept the trailers are so interesting, made my expectations so high and then it’s just came out to be some average okay movie…. I really hate that feeling of being let down.
When it comes to horror, we all have our taste. I don't like to say there is a "bad" movie but more a movie I didn't enjoy. Last week I saw In a Violent Nature and I very much disliked it. Just wasn't my taste. The Watchers was so much more of what I enjoy and happy I went to see it.
Remember, we are not all going to like the same thing, don't tear each other down.
i absolutely adored a violent nature 🔥🔥👌👌🩸🩸
i feel the same exact way. in a violent nature had some beautiful imagery, and crazy body horror. aside from that i didn’t enjoy it.
i found the watchers to b a fun and decent movie, although i did feel there was some points that did not connect. i also loved the *spoiler*
faerie lore, and believe we need more horrific faerie takes!
I was pretty drunk when I saw the movie because Jeremy told ue to get shit faced and then watched the movie,lol
But from what I gather she got the wings back because the gods or whoever took the wings away from them saw that she was talked into understand that there is good in her because there is human in her. Sounds to me like she got the wings back because in the end it turned out that she is capable of love and because of it she is worthy of having the ability to fly, be her true self.
I wish they had advertised this differently and I had done some research cause this wasn't at all what I thought it was about.
I don't know if it's just me reading too many folktales or watching too many horror content related to skin walkers, wendigoo, I never felt the tone shifting in the final act.
The watchers in the tapestry in the professor's office in the movie looked kinda like greys. It felt like this movie was way too unsure what it wanted to expand on or not and had too many crumbs, like the fact the main character is a twin in a movie about changelings but that just isn't? Handled or addressed or used at all?
Well... I really liked it, especially the ending 🙂
I saw someone once say that they read the book AFTER seeing the movie so you don't have any prior expectations or disappointments and instead may get new information or context that wasn't in the movie and I've found that since I started doing that too I've enjoyed adaptations MUCH more
I really enjoyed it it’s definitely going in my top horror for this year I really loved it a whole lot I want to see a sequel that is from to pov of the actual the watchers and what goes on in the burrows and what goes on during the day and what they actually do at night times then go back and do some prequels this can turn into a 20 movie series alone
I liked the concept. And the directing is good. The actual story and plot is just really bad.
I love seeing some dark Fae and want more of it in horror. Unfortunately, this plot is not well crafted, with each event just happening to get from A to B rather than B feeling like a natural progression of A. I liked the plot beats, but as a whole, it is less than the sum of its parts.
i haven't seen the movie yet but recently read the book in preparation. i was vibing with it! even with the over explanations i thought it was weird and i had no idea where it was going. but after the twist i couldn't figure out what the point of anything was?! the entire situation could have been avoided with a tiny bit of thought?!
I’m always shocked when people say they weren’t impressed with the novel. I’m a lit snob and I thought it was great. I’m dragging my feet on the movie.
I was so pumped for this one! I agree, though it was just okay. My friends and I left the theatre and immediately started discussing plot holes.
I loved the book so much. It is one of my all time favorites! The twist was absolutely amazing. I don't think I'll watch the movie. I loved the book too much.
That was my biggest issue over all with the film, the ending seemed rushed and didn’t provide enough context for the motivation to move forward to the closure we get for multiple parties. Other than that it was well enough as you said
"Purple Prose" is the phrase I think you're looking for in the writing.
I agree both the movie and the book are just fine the book has that creepy folklore horror vibe while the movie had some gorgeous scenery
Owen is bringing something new to the horror genre. The Final Woman. She just needs the right script and direction.
I haven’t seen it yet but I was okay with the nepotism, idk he’s just such a unique film maker that I’m excited to see there’s another generation
Ooh...Georgina Campbell (Barbarian) is in this! 😀🎉
As someone who loves Barbarian, my instant reference for her will always be 13 Reasons Why unfortunately
@@Hydr0pshe's not in that, though
@@Hydr0pthats another actress, alisha or sum is her name
Unfortunately she is. Love her in Barbarian and Lovely, Dark and Deep. In this though she had nothing to do. Totally waste of a great actor.
She was great in Barbarian but unfortunately not in this movie (not really her fault tho, this was just a poorly-written and directed movie from a character standpoint at least)
Nepotism THE MOVIE. Wasn’t good… she tried to copy the father instead of finding her own voice. Probably that is why it failed.
Yep. Kind of embarrassing. You'd think she'd want to do something different. We don't need M. Night 2.0.
@@greggibson33 yes. I don't understand why some nepo babies go on and try to do exact same thing as their parents. You'd think they'd feel the need to go and do something wildly different just to get out of the shadow of their parent's legacy. I'm thinking of Cronenberg's kids. And also Stephen King's son, Joe Hill.
She copied her hack father? Yikes
A lil much but alright
Yup
Agreed, both book and movie had a lot of potentially not ended up being disappointing and even boring at times.
I'm pretty sure you're saying Ciara which is pronounced Kee-ra. Also spoilers
But when you said a woman got lost in a forest in the west it immediately told me that it was faeries
I love the "why are we still doin em? why are we still doin em in twenty twenty fourrrrr?" 😂
It was ok 🎉❤
I only listened to the audio book, and while I finished it, the writing and lazy plot devices were an indication that I should not watch the movie. Your comment about the "flowery" pose was so spot on. My wtf moment was when Mina left the bunker to get her bird. It was supposed to be a fast-paced, suspenseful moment, and the writing describing it made me forget that. It was describing mostly irrelevant topics, and the pretentions adjectives were too much.
The professors bunker was just way too convenient and took me out of it. Same with the chase scene with Madeline at Cieras house. Nothing ended up happening, and it didn't make sense plot wise. I know Madeleine was paranoid about Ciera snitching, but it just felt a bit contrived for me.
In the movie, you mention that Madeleine was half/half...that just does not work as well as what happens in the book for at least 3 different reasons. I mean this with much respect, but I haven't enjoyed an M Night Shamalan since the 90s. After seeing how The Watchers was lukewarm at best, I don't have an interest in seeing any of his daughter's films.
I love the aesthetics of the film. The film is not even scary. But I enjoy the solemness and the Nordic atmosphere of the movie
I read the book and I loved it! I never read the book and then saw the movie so this was really fun to experience but I’ve been going crazy since cause everything you said in this review is how I feel and it’s just crazy to me cause I really loved the book and the ending in the book I was not ready for that in the movie like I was so excited and then that happened ): but I honestly feel like this would’ve done better in a tv show cause there’s just so much more that happens and it’s he book was so scary!
Also loved the Coraline Easter egg in the movie
I have the same Ghostface shirt!
Yeah kinda figured...
I feel like this was a beautifully shot movie that just didn't have the right script
you're being very kind with your review. The movie treats you like if you were a child. It explains every little detail and recurs multiple times into the "telling and not showing" exposition. Its not scary at all, I wouldn't even call it horror, it tries to be, but its a drama with a little bit of suspense. The only thing that I liked about it was seeing Galway on the big screen since I live here, other than that, the movie is shit.
i feel like so many people didn’t like this which I can understand but i enjoyed it. it was a little boring at times but the twist at the end was unexpected.
Same. Geniunely, I really liked this movie and the concept. It wasn’t a great great movie, but definitely a rewatch for me.
did anyone else imagine madeleine as sue sylvester while reading the book?
This might be a dumb question if you've stated already but are you planning on reviewing Long Legs?
Yeah that's why we have to be careful for these movies that looks good in the trailer but the movie it self changed it. We have to be careful because we could jinks it. Horror movies are consider to be the hardest movie to impress the audience like lets be real.
The bird completely destroyed Chekov's Gun concept.
SPOILER
A better way to have handled the trap door: when Mina arrives, the rest of the group have already discovered it, but because the metal edge is flush with the floor they haven't been able to lift it. Danny has wanted to bang on it to try to break through or something, but the others continually persuade him to not do so because it would either attract the watchers attention or possibly leave an opening for them to enter the coop. When it all hits the fan later, then everyone is united in banging on the metal to try to break through and the rest of the action would proceed as it did in the film.
This could also add a bit of tension, as throughout the first half of the film we would be wondering should they break through the door or not. It also makes for a nice metaphor.
Film bagus sekali
They have been in the woods for nearly a year and the guys got short hair and clean shaven 🤔 how the hell did the bunker get built if there is no electricity and the creatures kill people at nite 🤔
They explain all of that in the movie and book. Well, not the boys hair lol but that’s just a movie thing
Agree! This movie was just fine. I left thinking, okay, that was a thing I saw. I have no feelings for it either way.
Don’t worry, if you don’t want to know what happens to Olwen’s character in TCM - just watch Tarot.
This was quite the mixed bag for me. I really liked the first two acts, I thought the mystery and thrills were very engaging. Unfortunately the 3rd act really went down hill for me. The reveal and “twist” just didn’t work for me.
I miss your cooking videos!
That was my reaction too. It was just an okay movie.
i just realized spookyastronauts and possessedbyhorror are different persons 😭😭😭
y’all we don’t look alike! lol I have brown hair??
@@PossessedbyHorror don’t mind me. i just don’t recognize people well 😭 love both of you tho 🫶
SUPERFULOUS! 😂
The creatures where slender man without clothes.
The face in the thumbnail says it all😂
I'm sorry but I can't remember a time where I have been this underwhelmed by a Movie and that's saying something. It felt like I watched two separate movies but both didn't hit the mark. It was strange.
Where did you get that shirt?
Feels like a shayamalan calling card at this point. Fabulous, fascinating premise, half the time not great execution.
Man I really wanted to like this movie.