The Watchers ending explained: What happened with Madeline?

The Watchers, a supernatural horror film directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, was released in theatres on June 7, 2024. While it has not received the best reviews from critics or audiences, the film attempts to generate much suspense and horror with its ending.

The protagonist Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, comes in contact with dangerous supernatural beings called the Watchers, ancient creatures who watch and mimic human beings. Mina manages to escape their coop with her guide Madeline (Olwen Fouéré).

In the end, she finds out Madeline, who accompanied her on the whole journey, is a Watcher too, bringing the film to an unexpected and chilling conclusion.

Apart from Fanning and Fouéré, the film also stars Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, Alistair Brammer, and John Lynch. The official summary of the film reads:

"A young artist gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland, where, after finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night."

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Watchers (2024).

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What was The Watchers' ending? Explained

Dakota Fanning as Mina in a still from The Watchers (via IMDb)

The twist in the ending comes to light when Mina goes to the professor's university and sees his notes on the Watchers. She realizes that the professor's wife had died while she entered the forest, and was probably killed by the supernatural beings themselves. Mina then sees a photo of the wife, and realizes she used to look exactly like Madeline.

Mina recalls the fact that some Watchers have the ability to imitate humans, and it strikes her that Madeline has been a hybrid human-watcher all along. She runs to warn Ciara of this, but is misled by Madeline mimicking Ciara.

Mina tries to fight Madeline, who attacks her and also knocks Ciara unconscious. But Mina also realizes the importance of trying to calm Madeline down and let go of her anger towards humans, which she does. Finally, Madeline takes on her true Watcher form and leaves, giving Mina the space to get her life together and reconnect with her estranged sister Lucy.

All seems well until it is revealed to the audience that Madeline has now taken the form of a child, and is still watching Mina from afar at the end of the movie.

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What is The Watchers about?

The film revolves around Mina (Dakota Fanning), who is estranged from her twin sister Lucy and struggling with the trauma of her mother's death during her childhood. She works in a pet shop and is asked to deliver a rare bird by her boss when she gets stranded in the forest during the task. She meets an old woman called Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) and decides to follow her for safety.

The two get trapped in a bunker-like building called The Coop with two other people named Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan). They explain that a group of beings called the Watchers observe them in The Coop at night and there is almost no way to leave once stranded in the forest. But there is a catch: none of them have seen a Watcher before.

Months pass and the four remain trapped in The Coop, gaining information about the beings keeping them hostage. Madeline learns that one of the Watchers' powers is the ability to imitate and embody humans.

After this, they find a secret door that leads them to the notes of a professor (John Lynch) studying the Watchers, who also explains that it might be possible to evade capture and leave the forest. They try out the route and Mia, Madeline, and Ciara make it but Daniel is killed.

While visiting the professor's old university, Mina learns from his notes that some Watchers are also half-human hybrids, who can explore the world during the day and not just at nighttime. During this, Mina sees photos of the professor's wife who dies in the forest and realizes she used to look exactly like Madeline, meaning Madeline must be a watcher-human hybrid.

After a confrontation where Madeline attacks Ciara, Mina manages to calm her down and convince her not to hurt them. Madeline transforms into her true Watcher form and leaves. After this, Mina reconciles with her sister Lucy, but the film ends when the audience horrifyingly realizes that Madeline has now taken the form of a child and is still watching Mina.

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The Watchers, directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, is in theatres now.