M. Night Shyamalan's Daughter Follows In His Footsteps With The Watchers Trailer
We've come a long, long way since the mere mention of M. Night Shyamalan's name at the end of a trailer would elicit jeers from audiences at the movies. For those who haven't been living under a rock throughout the last decade, the once-infamous filmmaker has completely turned the narrative around thanks to betting on himself and winning big with a series of well-received box office hits in a row. This culminated with arguably his most ambitious and rather divisive effort yet in last year's "Knock at the Cabin," but those who've been following his work know that he's been killing it in multiple mediums now. The Apple TV+ series "Servant" only further proved that he's got plenty left in the tank, and now he's passing the torch to the next generation of Shyamalans.
After shadowing her dad on the set of "Servant" and even writing/directing multiple episodes of that show in order to hone her craft, Ishana Night Shyamalan is now making her feature film debut as the writer/director of "The Watchers." One gander at the newly-released trailer confirms that, yes, she's very much her father's daughter. A largely one-location horror/thriller starring a small cast of characters who have absolutely no idea what kind of funny business is going on, all while steeped in a nightmarish and otherworldly tone? Yep, those are the tried-and-true Shyamalan trademarks that we've come to love. So what are you waiting for? Check out the new footage above!
Ishana Night Shyamalan makes her mark with The Watchers
I can already hear the internet firing up that ol' Hot Takes Machine and reloading for another round of nepotism baby discourse, so I'm here to get right out in front of that and say something a little controversial: Maybe we're allowed to make an exception, for a change. When it comes to filmmakers letting their kids get a chance to show their stuff — especially when it's a woman of color — I'd say the pros outweigh the cons. That goes double when it's clear that these up-and-comers might genuinely have what it takes to deliver.
Even in its first official footage released to the public, "The Watchers" is keeping its cards close to the chest. When the production was first announced, all we knew about the story was that it would follow a character named Mina, described as "...a 28-year old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers that are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night." The trailer makes good on that premise, while also suggesting that the early synopsis didn't quite capture the creepiness that's fully on display. Whatever's happening in this movie, which seems to include cult-like imagery and a supernatural twist, we are here for it.
Adapted from writer A.M. Shine's novel of the same name, "The Watchers" stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, and Olwen Fouéré and is produced by M. Night Shyamalan. Look for the movie to come to theaters on June 7, 2024.