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Ishana Night Shyamalan made her directorial debut this year, with the release ofThe Watchersin June. Working as second unit director on her father’s, M. Night Shyamalan, more recent projectsOld(2021) andKnock at the Cabin(2023), Ishana inherited the family tradition of incorporating twist endings. However, this development has not been well received among all fans.
Adapted from A. M Shine’s 2022 novel of the same name,The Watchersfollows the story of an American immigrant to Galway, Ireland.Played by Dakota Fanning, Mina is tasked with delivering a parrot when she becomes lost in a remote forest, encountering a bunker where three strangers are hiding out. Hurried inside, Mina eventually discovers that a group of nocturnal creatures called Watchers are watching them, threatening to kill anyone who attempts to escape from the forest. The eventual twist has been criticized by some as being reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan’s 2006 movie,Lady in the Water, as both films utilize a similar theme of false assumptions to execute the twist.
Similarities Between The Watchers and Lady in the Water
The Watchers
Although bothThe WatchersandLady in the Waterbelong to separate genres with differing plot lines, there nevertheless remains a link between them.Lady in the Waterfollows the residents of an apartment block as they realize and subsequently figure out their roles within the fairy tale they found themselves in. Tasked with saving the water nymph, Story, from the wolf-like creature, Scrunt, the twist arises once they realize they have been performing the wrong roles.
Likewise, it is uncovered inThe Watchersthat those hiding out in the bunker assume safety among their fellow hostages. The twist comes in the revealing of Olwen Fouéré’s character Madeline as ahuman-Watcher hybrid, mimicking human formto observe the captives up close. This revelation has some striking similarities to the ending ofLady in the Water. Whilst the strangers in the bunker assume they are equally helpless, the exposure of Madeline as this hybrid-creature conveys that their situation has only gotten worse by simply accepting it at face value. Additionally, sightings of the Watchers' mimicking humans direct attention to this twist, as audiences can expect to find a harbinger among the group.
If it was not for the familial relationship between Ishana Night Shyamalan and M. Night Shyamalan, this link may not be as easily noticeable. Due to M. Night’s role in the production ofThe Watchers, however, this argument does appear to have legs among some viewers.
Shyamalan’s The Watchers Ending, Explained: Unpacking That Shocking Twist
Discover the meaning of the big twist ending featured in Ishana Shyamalan’s supernatural horror movie The Watchers.
The Watchershad the potential to be one of the better horror movies of 2024. With faultless acting from Dakota Fanning and the rest of the cast, as well as being adapted from a critically received book, good things were expected. And therein lies the problem. Ishana Night Shyamalan had a great legacy to live up to. As M. Night has beenknown for his plot twistssince the 1990s, it was only natural that his daughter would follow this pattern. This did not do Ishana many favors, as following her work onKnock at the CabinandOld, many viewers were expecting and searching for the twist ending, creating high expectations which were ultimately not met.
Prior to revealing the twist, the movie’s direction effectively delivered a suspenseful and gripping narrative. Making use of the two-way mirror bunker, deep in an eerie, dense forest, it is fear of the unknown that initially drives the movie. Whilst the audience are unaware of the threat looming just outside, the suspense is pulled away as the creatures become unveiled. This revelation occurs at the wrong point, altering the movie’s pacing and structure, contributing to lackluster responses from many viewers.
The Watcherstwist was not the sole critique either, as a selection of viewers took issue with the endings' over-explanation. Upon discovering the academic who originally built the bunker, Mina escapes to his university office, where she uncovers the truth about a war between the Watchers and humans. While this discovery could have made for an interesting and ambiguous ending, instead audiences were given too much information followed by a “happily ever after,” which did not offer the same feel-good watching experience asLady in the Water’sending did.
Ishana Shyamalan Reveals Her Unusual Inspiration for The Watchers
Ishana Shyamalan took inspiration for her debut film from reality TV, while star Dakota Fanning says she felt “drawn” to the character of Mina.
Is This Becoming a Trend for Shyamalan Movies?
M. Night Shyamalan has been actively writing, producing, and directingmovies and television since 1992, with his most recent release only one year prior. Whilst Ishana’s debut teases a new generation of supernatural plot points and twist endings, fans fear there is little place for new projects to grow in.The Watchersdoes not hint at massive development, and neither did the previous movies Ishana worked on.OldandKnock at the Cabinboth received favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike, but their twists faced criticism. Similar toThe Watchers, the uncovering of the medical trials inOldwas seen by many as occurring at the wrong point in the movie, causing disappointment.
Equally, other more recent works, such asSplit(2016), have been praised for its clever twist ending. Ending the movie, it becomes clear that it was a sequel to the 2000 movieUnbreakableall along. This does offer hope that more ingenious plot twists could be executed with a fresher, younger mind directing them. So, while it may appear as if Shyamalan movies have passed their golden age, it would nevertheless be unwise to assume future movies will not be able to exceed audience expectations once again.
