In the new thriller The Watchers, a group of strangers are brought together by unexpected circumstances. Written and directed by Ishana Shyamalan, the creepy story features Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouere, and Oliver Finnegan. And frankly, it’s not hard to see a little inspiration from when it comes to the strange and mysterious tale it tells. What are “The Watchers?” Well, I won’t spoil it here, but like the tagline claims, they see everything. I recently sat down for a few terrific interviews with Ms. Dakota Fanning, as well as Georgina Campbell and the storyteller, Ishana Shyamalan. It was an absolute pleasure chatting with all three. Having spoken to both Fanning and Campbell previously, it was nice to discuss their latest. The two actors opened up about being pulled into this world and working with a director telling a different kind of story. Both of these talents give terrific performances in the new feature.
As for Ishana, she talked about connecting to the material – the film is based on the book written by A.M. Shine – and creating a moody piece of fiction. It’s not hard to see where the filmmaker may have had a little inspiration. Much like her father, she shares a sort of whimsical quality in the mysterious. With her work here, and on Servant, it will be exciting to see what’s next.
Ishana is the daughter of the legendary M. Night Shyamalan, who worked as his daughters second unit director on The Watchers – and said the experience changed him as a filmmaker.
The Watchers opens this Friday at a theatre near you. Here’s the synopsis: A 28-year-old artist gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. Finding shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are stalked by mysterious creatures every night.