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Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, The Watchers, is a supernatural horror film that stars Dakota Fanning. The story revolves around a young woman, Mina (Fanning), who is an American immigrant in Ireland and gets trapped in a forest after her car breaks down.
Following an old woman leads her to a mysterious bunker, where she meets three other strangers, who tell Mina that terrifying creatures known as the ‘The Watchers’, observe the bunker every night and the people inside have to follow certain rules.
The movie does not rely on gore and jump scares but has a tense atmosphere throughout, which heightens the anxiety. It is also a character-driven film as the audiences learn about Mina’s past with her mother and sister.
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For those who enjoyed watching The Watchers, and want to watch something similar, here are six more movies one can binge.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
Signs, It Comes at Night, and other movies to watch if you liked The Watchers
1) Knock at the Cabin - Amazon Prime Video
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and based on a novel by Paul G. Tremblay, Knock at the Cabin, is a horror film that is set in the backdrop of an impending apocalypse. It revolves around a family vacationing in a remote cabin when they are suddenly held hostage by a group of strangers and asked to perform atrocious acts.
The film stars Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, and others. Just like The Watchers, the movie Knock at the Cabin is based on a novel and is about people stuck inside a house. Both movies explore the dark side of humanity and the emotional angle of horror.
2) It Comes at Night - Amazon Prime Video
Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, It Comes at Night, is a horror film starring Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, and others. Set amidst an apocalyptic event, where the Earth gets destroyed by a highly contagious disease, two families decide to pool resources and hide in a forest.
As the families begin to suspect each other and grow more desperate, the movie lends a highly bleak atmosphere. While The Watchers, is not that pessimistic, both the movies are about people stuck in a forest and not trusting each other. Both movies also examine the limits to which humans can go to survive.
3) In the Tall Grass - Netflix
Based on a novel by Stephen King and Joe Hill and directed by Vincenzo Natali, In the Tall Grass, is a Canadian supernatural film that revolves around siblings Becky and Cal, who enter a field of grass after hearing cries for help. Once inside, the duo experience supernatural incidents.
Both, The Watchers and In the Tall Grass are inspired by written works, about strangers getting trapped inside a natural environment—a forest and grass field respectively. In both the movies, mysterious entities are watching the characters. Unlike The Watcher though, In the Tall Grass is more cynical in its approach.
4) Dark Was The Night - Amazon Prime Video
Also known as Monster Hunter in the UK, Dark Was the Night is a horror film directed by Jack Heller. It centers on the small and isolated town of Maiden Woods, where the reckless cutting of trees by a logging company, leads to the destruction of the town by a group of horrific creatures.
Just like The Watchers, the movie Dark Was the Night has the same premise of mysterious forest creatures causing havoc. Both movies are character-driven, and the two movies also focus on trauma and grief. While The Watchers relies less on gore, Dark Was the Night, involves a lot of bloodshed.
5) Signs - Amazon Prime Video
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Signs, is a horror film that revolves around a priest (played by Mel Gibson), who discovers a series of mysterious crop circles in his cornfield. As his family starts experiencing alien activity, he must protect them and also deal with his relationship with faith.
Both, The Watchers and Signs share stylistic similarities, as Ishana Shyamalan is influenced by her father’s works. In both films, the characters have to stay cooped up inside a house to prevent themselves from outside danger. The movies also don’t rely on jump scares but instead, focus on the characters’ inner struggles and their struggle with familial loss.
6) The Ritual - Netflix
Directed by David Bruckner, The Ritual, is a British supernatural folk horror movie, that is based on a novel by Adam Nevill. The movie revolves around four friends who decide to hike in a Swedish forest. While in the forest, the group soon encounters an evil presence.
The movie shares several similarities with The Watchers, as both the movies are based on a novel, are folk horrors set in a forest, and incorporate various mythologies. Also, the protagonists of both movies are reeling under the guilt of causing the death of a loved one.
Fans of horror movies can go through this list and watch any movie of their liking.
