The Watchers, which was previously available for rent on Prime Video, has now received a full-fledged OTT release in India. The supernatural horror fantasy film is currently streaming on JioCinema (OTTplay Premium). Based on the 2021 book by A. M. Shine, Ishana Night Shyamalan made her directorial debut with the film under M. Night Shyamalan's production. The Watchers concerns Mina, an artist in her twenties who gets herself stranded in a huge, undeveloped woodland in western Ireland. It features Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, and Oliver Finnegan. In her search for safety, she finds herself ensnared with three strangers, all of whom are subject to the nighttime pursuit of enigmatic beasts.

The Watchers and their motive

There is no map that shows this forest. At a certain point near the treeline, all vehicles begin to malfunction, including Mina's. Trapped in the woods, she hears a woman yelling for her to get to a concrete bunker quickly. Screams fill the building as the door bangs shut behind her. Mina finds herself confined to a room with a glass wall and an electric light as the sun sets and the Watchers emerge from underground. When these monsters emerge to watch their imprisoned people, horrific things happen to everyone who doesn't make it to the bunker in time. Fearful and stranded in a new place, Mina is in dire need of guidance. Do you know who the Watchers are and why they're so interested in keeping humans in captivity and observing their every action?

Ishana Night Shyamalan’s reflections on nepotism

Throughout the film's press tour, questions of nepotism surfaced due to Ishana's status as M. Night Shyamalan's daughter. In an interview, the filmmaker said that she thinks about it every day while she is working on it. Concerning the judgement and the consequences, she was petrified. Entering a room or space with an expectation to achieve something is never a negative thing; in fact, it motivates one to work harder and wants it more.

Ishana continued by saying that by nature of being born into this life and having a parent in the industry, there is definitely a sort of advantage stepping into the field; one just has that sense of being able to achieve it—she thinks as with any child pursuing their parent's field. The young filmmaker added that discussions around nepotism were totally valid, that what was important was the reaction to the privilege, and that entirely referring to her parents' status in the industry was appropriate.

Box office performance

The Watchers made $33 million globally, with $19.1 million coming from the US and Canada and $13.9 million from other countries. Many critics thrashed the film upon its release earlier this year.

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