Like filmmaker Sophia Coppola, who has followed in her acclaimed father’s footsteps, Ishana Night Shyamalan is now doing the same. Her first feature, THE WATCHERS, which was produced by her dad, M. Night Shyamalan (GLASS), has the same supernatural, spooky aesthetic that her father is known for. The big question, though, is whether Ishana can carve her own path the way Sophia Coppola has.

Based on the novel of the same name by A. M. Shine, THE WATCHERS tells the story of Mina (Dakota Fanning, THE EQUALIZER 3), a 28-year-old American artist who works in an exotic pet shop in Dublin. One day, her boss tells her that a zoo in Galway has purchased a parrot from them and he asks Mina to drive the bird across the country. (It’s normally about a two-hour drive.) On the way there, Mina’s car suddenly breaks down and she gets stranded in a large, untouched forest where she spots a mysterious bunker that is fronted by a two-way mirror. Living in the bunker are three strangers – Madeline (Olwen Fouéré (THE NORTHMAN), Ciara (Georgina Campbell (BARBARIAN) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan, CREEPED OUT) – and they tell Mina that every evening, mysterious beings gather outside the shelter to watch them. While they can go out into the forest during the day to forage for food, they must return to the bunker by nightfall. Time passes and Mina eventually decides to stay outside the bunker after dark. The Watchers are not happy.

I haven’t read the book but I sense that this is one story that is better read than watched. Shyamalan does a good job creating a feeling of mystery and foreboding but, like her father, she fails to land an effective ending. If you’ve seen any film by her father, you know that there’s going to be a third act twist that’s going to come out of left field. THE WATCHERS is no different as far as a twist goes but the young director telegraphs it from the start of the second act. For most of the film, I was just sitting there wondering what the point Shyamalan is trying to make. She does get there eventually but it comes about with so little surprise or tension that it’s rather underwhelming given the buildup.

I’ll give the woman props for a good first film effort. Ishana has her father’s eye for camera angles and shadow play. While THE WATCHERS is mediocre, I’m hopeful that the young Shyamalan will find her own voice going forward.

THE WATCHERS opened in Hong Kong yesterday (June 6^th) and opens in North America today. If you’re a diehard M. Night fan, then certainly go see what Ishana can do. Otherwise, you can safely wait for it to land on the streaming services.

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