I had read about the Watchers in several publications, all recommending the film. I love creature features so I was excited to check it out, especially as I'm a fan of Dakota Fanning and Olwen Fouéré (Tarot, Sea Fever, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Northman, Mandy).
I was expecting a straight up creature feature. Monsters in the woods maybe. Possibly aliens with the whole people in a box being observed kind of theme. It definitely is a people being observed film and there are 'monsters' but it is so much more than that by the end of the film.
I really don't want to give spoilers, but I'll say that the ending left me (a horror fantasy fan) happy to have a film that deviated from the usual genre themes. Is it a great cinematic masterpiece? No. Is it an entertaining, satisfying film that I will most likely rewatch? Yes, it is.
For a small film with very few actors it is well acted and compelling. The sets are well done and are frightening and give a sense of foreboding and claustrophobia. And the antagonists are genuinely frightening in both idea and appearance. Terrifying in their ferocity and yet sympathetic by the end of the film (No, I'm not explaining!)
Overall a fun film that was paced quickly so it doesn't lag at all. Dakota Fanning manages to create a character you care about even as you want to smack her 'rule breaking' attitude for a while. It's nice to actually have a female character fleshed out a bit in such a short (1 hour 42 minutes) fast paced film.
Definitely recommended.
I was expecting a straight up creature feature. Monsters in the woods maybe. Possibly aliens with the whole people in a box being observed kind of theme. It definitely is a people being observed film and there are 'monsters' but it is so much more than that by the end of the film.
I really don't want to give spoilers, but I'll say that the ending left me (a horror fantasy fan) happy to have a film that deviated from the usual genre themes. Is it a great cinematic masterpiece? No. Is it an entertaining, satisfying film that I will most likely rewatch? Yes, it is.
For a small film with very few actors it is well acted and compelling. The sets are well done and are frightening and give a sense of foreboding and claustrophobia. And the antagonists are genuinely frightening in both idea and appearance. Terrifying in their ferocity and yet sympathetic by the end of the film (No, I'm not explaining!)
Overall a fun film that was paced quickly so it doesn't lag at all. Dakota Fanning manages to create a character you care about even as you want to smack her 'rule breaking' attitude for a while. It's nice to actually have a female character fleshed out a bit in such a short (1 hour 42 minutes) fast paced film.
Definitely recommended.