The Watchers, Ishana Shymalan’s latest film, is now available. Her father, M. Night Shyamalan, has had an effect on her directing and writing skills, but she also adds her own taste and distinctive narrative to the picture, which makes it intriguing.

The Watchers, starring Dakota Fanning, is an intriguing movie that transports us to a remote Irish woodland where ghost stories and otherworldly phenomena could possibly persist. Mina becomes caught in the forest and soon finds herself and three other people confined in a home where they are displayed for the invisible watchers who lurk in the shadows of the forest and only emerge at night to express their approval or disapproval of the individuals trapped within. In the few hours between dawn and dusk, they must find a way out of the home and the forest if they are to survive.

This seems to be one of those movies that you either love or loathe. Instead of being a conventional horror slasher, it’s a dark fantasy/horror movie with elements of Pan’s Labyrinth combined with the striking contrast between the supernatural and the natural worlds. Therefore, even if you believe that the tale has a supernatural component, Ishana Shyamalan, like her father, is known for giving unexpected twists that satisfy your expectations while surprise you.

If you know anything about Irish mythology, you know that shiny, happy creatures do not exist in the woods at night. The Watchers is an Irish horror film that takes place in deep woods. This fact alone will have people speculating about what the creatures in the forest might be.

Watching this film is both darkly beautiful and suspenseful. You never fully see what you’re seeing in the scenes in the cabin and the woods because of the way the textures and shadows move and change. There are hazy hints of one thing followed by another, and when this is combined with a color scheme that tends toward dark and dusty tones, it might make you feel as though you’re not quite seeing things as they should be. The darkness seems to consume everything in the home, including the power and firelight. And you know they’ve got this part dead if you’ve ever taken a dusk stroll through an Irish woodland.

In order to give us a true sense of the texture and style of the cinematography and to give us just enough hints to understand the tale and the setting, whomever put together the teaser also took note of these themes present in the movie. Nothing is revealed in the trailer. You never know until you find out if this movie is a supernatural horror or a psychological thriller. I believe you will like the first part of the movie even if you have only watched the trailer before entering the cinema. If you weren’t prepared for how the movie moves the plot ahead, the second half can surprise you a little bit as it takes you in a route you might not have liked or anticipated.

While everyone of the movie’s characters seemed distinct and fascinating in their own right, two really jumped out. The first is Dakota Fanning, which should come as no surprise given that she is the movie’s main character; nonetheless, because her role was purposefully created to have underlying sadness, she came off as a touch flat on screen. As someone who experiences depression, I completely understand this. Mina portrays a profound melancholy, but this also prevents her from being as captivating as some may want from a lead actress on screen—that is, until she dons a wig and changes into a vibrant woman in the first bar scene.

There are many similarities between that moment and the main plot of the movie, which also connect with the scene where we see her somewhat distorted and fuzzy reflection in the mirror of the woodland home.

Another noteworthy performance in the movie was Olwen Fouéré as Madeline. She was a fascinating figure who played the role of a mother, making sure everyone was secure and sharing her knowledge of these unusual observers and the guidelines they all had to follow to be happy. Even if you can’t help but wonder how she knows the things she knows, she comes off as genuine and honest. She seems to know more than she is revealing, and there is a riddle to solve.

The viewers themselves are among the other noteworthy characters in the movie. The effects artists did a fantastic job of conjuring up plausible scenarios for this weird Irish woodland, then twisting those concepts to produce a constant feeling of dread when you’re getting there. I believe the watchers-reveal will be something you truly like, depending on the sort of story you enjoy.

I thought this movie was good overall. It was both magical and eerie in a really pleasant sense that was relatable to everyone. Though darker, muted-colored films can feel heavy and slow, and the story’s spin, which occurs about halfway through, slightly alters the look and feel, which I believe may be jarring for some viewers and pull them out of the picture, the reveals can be a little slow, and I’m not sure if the film’s aesthetics are for everyone. I really like the movie’s premise, therefore I didn’t have this issue at all. You might tell that I adore these types of dark fantasy movies if you looked around my home office.

It might not be a movie for everyone, though, and I believe little children will find it frightening. So perhaps turn it into a friends’ night out or a dating night.

Make sure to share your thoughts on the movie with me. Did you find it enjoyable? Regarding the Watchers as characters, how did you feel? Did the film not appeal to you? If not, what would be the reason? Talk in the comments, please.