M. Night Shyamalan Will be in Tears After Seeing Daughter’s Debut Film ‘The Watchers’ Couldn’t Even Beat Arguably the Worst Horror Movie of 2024
Breaking into Hollywood is no easy feat, even for the children of established filmmakers! That is what happened to the daughter of the iconic M. Night Shyamalan (director behind horror hits like The Sixth Sense, Split, Glass, and Unbreakable). Ishana Night Shyamalan just premiered her directorial debut, The Watchers.
The film was released on the 7th of June this month. It sounds exciting, with suspense and a great cast, but ticket sales haven’t been what anyone expected. It even fell short of allegedly the worst movie of 2024.
M. Night Shyamalan’s Daughter’s Debut Flops
M. Night Shyamalan‘s daughter’s movie — The Watchers — takes viewers to the remote countryside of western Ireland, where a young artist named Mina (Dakota Fanning) finds herself stuck. Looking for shelter, she meets a bunch of strangers, each hiding secrets.
As night falls, they discover something terrifying: they are being stalked by unseen creatures. The film’s dark atmosphere and talented cast, including rising stars Georgina Campbell and Oliver Finnegan, had many believing the film would be a hit at the box office.
However, The Watchers didn’t attract many viewers to the theaters. It only made $2.9 million (via The Numbers) on its first day, which was lower than expected. Interestingly, it even earned less than The Strangers: Chapter One, a horror movie that also didn’t do well but still made $5 million (via Box Office Mojo) on its opening day.
Critics Praise The Watchers Despite Box Office Disappointment
Despite not raking in big money, critics are giving The Watchers a thumbs up. They think it’s super creepy and Ishana Shyamalan did a great job keeping the suspense high.
Some even compare it to classic scary movies because it focuses on building fear and keeping things mysterious. For example, Rachel Leishman from The Mary Sue stated on Rotten Tomatoes:
Thrilling, mysterious, and twisting, it’s a great first outing for Shyamalan.
Sean Collier of Pittsburgh Magazine wrote:
It’s a remarkably strong start for Shyamalan, who draws desperate, raw performances from her cast and maintains a pervasive sense of dread throughout.
While how much money a movie makes at the box office can show success, it’s also important to consider what critics and audiences think. Early reviews for The Watchers have mixed opinions, but most of them like how it builds suspense! So, it remains to be seen how well the film will do in the future.
The Watchers is currently screening in theatres!
