The 2024 Shyamalan horror film that divided audiences and critics is now streaming

The Guardiansthe first of two 2024 Shyamalan horror films that divided audiences is now available to stream. Written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her directorial debut, The Guardians is produced by Ishana's prolific filmmaker father M. Night Shyamalanand is based on the novel of the same name by AM Shine. The film is about 28-year-old Mina (Dakota Fanning), an artist who is trapped in a forest in Ireland with three strangers – and some mysterious nocturnal creatures. After its premiere in cinemas on June 7th The Guardians brought in only $33 million on a budget of $30 million.

Burdened with negative reviews, The Guardians' quick jump to streaming is not necessarily surprising. Unlike M. Night Shyamalan's Catcha psychological thriller from 2024 with mixed reviews, The Guardians didn't have quite the same appeal in the cinemas. The Guardians, Catch was also shot on a $30 million budget, but since its release on August 2, the film starring Josh Hartnett has grossed a solid $71.8 million. It remains to be seen how The Guardians' sudden streaming debut will affect the film's legacy, It's safe to say that Ishana Night Shyamalan's directorial debut is worth a look.

For fans of …

• M. Night Shyamalan movies like The village, Lady in the waterAnd Old.
• Dakota Fanning (Ripley, Coralline) and Olwen Fouéré (Mandy, Tarot).
• Supernatural mysteries with some horror elements, including Pan's Labyrinth, The ritualAnd The Babadook.

“The Watchers” is now streaming on Max – What it’s about

Ishana Night Shyamalan's supernatural horror film takes Dakota Fanning deep into a mysterious forest

Although The Guardians changes elements of AM Shine’s book, The film focuses on Mina, a 28-year-old artist who moved to Galway, Ireland. Although she takes a job at a pet shop, Mina hopes to find enough inspiration to make art. However, she also has to overcome some mental blocks; 15 years after the death of her mother, which she inadvertently caused, Mina is still unable to overcome her grief. She has even become estranged from her twin sister Lucy. Soon, Mina's boss at the pet shop hires her to cart a valuable parrot to a zoo near Belfast.

Although the job seems easy, Mina is struggling with car problems. When her car breaks down completely, the Irish transplant stranded in a dense forestCompletely lost, Mina and Darwin, the parrot she is supposed to deliver, meet an old woman, Madeline (Olwen Fouéré), who leads them to a bunker in the woods. The building, called “The Coop”, is the temporary home of two other people, Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan). Even stranger, a group of mysterious creatures known as “The Watchers” watch the group at night through the Coop's mirrored window.

Mina learns that she and the other residents of the Coop must follow the Guardians' rules, which Madeline explains in detail. In typical horror movie fashion, the Guardians kill anyone who is outside the Coop. Second, the underground tunnels known as “The Burrows” are strictly off limits. Although the monstrous guardians are threatening at night, they have an aversion to sunlightwhich leads them to seek refuge in the Burrows. The group is trapped in the forest for several months and doesn't have much hope, apart from Ciara's husband John (Alistair Brammer), who left the coop a few days before Mina arrived.

Of course, many potential viewers are curious to see how Shyamalan’s big twist in The Guardians comparable to her father's typical technique. In a way The Shyamalan “brand” may have affected the film’s box office successwhile preparing the audience for a huge revelation. However, there is no denying that The Guardians' Twist recalls the revelations from projects like Lady in the water. Like other films in M. Night Shyamalan’s catalog, The Guardians offers numerous clues to the unexpected twist throughout the episode, making it a good choice for viewers who want to catch all the little details and can watch the episode at home.

What Screen Rant said about The Guardians:

Even as I began to ponder some of the gaping holes in the story, the strength of the cast's performances kept me watching. Fanning and the others are clearly invested in their characters and do a great job of making us understand their fears and traumas. We want them to get out of the woods alive. When I began to question her, Fouéré's intensity lured me back. When Campbell's Ciara screamed for her husband, I felt her pain.
—Mae Abdulbaki,

The Guardians
review

Why you should still see The Watchers after it divided audiences and critics

The Celtic folklore thriller suggests that the director has an interesting career as a filmmaker ahead of her

Simply put: The Guardians is better than its Rotten Tomatoes rating suggests. Using the source material as a jumping off point, Ishana Night Shyamalan puts a fun spin on the revived folk horror genre, creating a Celtic folklore thriller that's sure to stand out in a crowded field – at least in terms of lore. The Guardians is a debut film – a mixed package that is promising for the director's future projects. For some potential viewers, the allure of Ishana Night Shyamalan's very first film might be enough to convince them to watch the film.

Although M. Night Shyamalan won the family battle to make the film 2024, it is clear that Ishana draws heavily from her father's cinematic toolbox. People who have witnessed M. Night's career ups and downs might be interested to see Ishana use her training up close. Despite the film's obvious drawbacks the young director manages to elicit incredibly committed performances from her actorsincluding experienced greats like Fanning and Fouéré, who more than enhance the unusual material. Ultimately The GuardiansThe true rating probably lies somewhere between the feelings of critics and audiences, making the film a decent horror film.

5 more supernatural horror movies you can watch on Max now

• The Witch (2015)
• Kwaidan (1964)
• The visit (2015)
• Malignant (2021)
• Scary (2012)

The Guardians is now streaming on Max.