Mina (Dakota Fanning) is lost in a very green Irish forest delivering a chatty parrot for her boss. She lets the bird know she doesn’t like to be watched, yet she ends up in a remote shack called The Coop with three other poor souls watched nightly by a strange race of inhumans. Daniel can’t keep from smartass comments, Ciara is a sweetheart, and most importantly, Madeline (Olwen Fouere), a supernatural suspect from the get go.
Mina must obey the weird ones when they want the prisoners to perform as themselves (not to Mina’s liking). Writer/director Chris Nash begins his voyeurism theme dedicated to performance, in a world where Facebook and other outlets support. Like it or not, she is observed while she is imprisoned.
The director is M Night Shyamalan’s daughter, so it follows not to be surprised at her contrived twists and not to be disappointed when she resorts to third-act revelations, many of which she could have flowing organically from the action itself.
Mighty good slasher for a first-time helmer.
The Watchers
Director: Ishana Shyamalan
Screenplay: Shyamalan, based on novel by A.M. Shine
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell
Run Time: 1h 42m
Rating: PG-13
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts NPR’s It’s Movie Time and Cinema Classics as well as podcasts Back Talk and Double Take (recently listed by Feedspot as two of the ten best NPR Movie Podcasts) out of WCBE 90.5 FM, Columbus, Ohio. Contact him at JohnDeSando52@gmail.com