Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for The Watchers and the book on which it’s based.The 2024 film The Watchers is based on a 2022 horror-lit book of the same name by A.M. Shine, with some significant changes made to the source material. The lore in the book and film originates from Irish folklore of faeries and changelings, which A.M. Shine grew familiar with from his history degree from the University of Galway in Ireland. The film was adapted and directed by Ishana Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night. The Watchers book and film both have mixed reviews, with many of the movie’s changes to the story proving particularly contentious.

The book and film revolve around Mina (played by Dakota Fanning), a woman lost in mysterious Irish woods. Mina finds a bunker called the Coop with three other people in it: Madeline (Olwen Fouéré), Ciara (Georgina Campbell), and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan), all of whom have spent varying amounts of time trapped in the Watchers’ forest. At nightfall, the four of them are observed by deadly creatures with mysterious origins known as the Watchers. As the group escapes the forest, The Watchers’ twist ending builds on the events of the book, shocking many audiences. However, this isn’t the only difference from the novel.

8

Mina’s First Night In The Woods

In The Book, Mina Survives Her First Night In Her Car

In the book, Mina stays in her car for the first night that she is lost in the woods. After being spooked by a loud screeching she hears in the woods, Mina hides in the car with the bird. In the morning, she wakes up, gets out of the car, and decides to look for help in the daylight. Though she is technically in the forest and not protected overnight, she remains safe. If she hadn’t chosen to leave her car for help, she might have been able to survive there for a few days, though she would never truly understand the danger she was in.

In the film, Mina searches for help as soon as her car breaks down in the woods. She realizes the chance of running into someone back on the road on which she came is low, and she wanders into the woods, looking for a sign. She is then also immediately lost. In the setting sun of that same day, she encounters Madeline, who leads her into the Coop. This change speeds the film along, cutting out additional scenes of Mina in her car and getting into the action faster.

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Mina’s First Night In The Coop

The Watchers Appear To Have Different Motives

In the film, on Mina’s first night in the Coop, she hears a strange sound from outside, which is explained as applause from the Watchers, who are excited about the new addition. It isn’t until later in the film that the Watchers seem to become violent, trying to break into the Coop. At first, the Watchers seem rather friendly and peaceful, albeit menacing. This applause is an addition to the film and does not happen in the book.

In the book, however, the Watchers are always actively trying to get into the structure after sunset. There is no specific applause for Mina on her first night being watched. They have always wanted to break into the Coop and reach the humans, whether Mina is there or not. This strange applause reaction in the film adds to the eeriness of the Watchers, who are mostly unseen.

6

The Captives Presenting Themselves To The Watchers

The Movie Creates A Visual Moment For The Watched

In the movie, the captives have to present themselves in front of the mirror for the Watchers to observe every night at sunset. This adds a very memorable and creepy visual to the film. In the film, Ciara even dances for the Watchers, who seem to like her movements and performance. This presentation is not the case in the book, where the captives are able to go about their nights as usual, knowing they are constantly being watched.

In the film, the captives’ rules include not turning their backs to the mirror at night, suggesting that the Watchers care a lot about their behavior. This rule does not exist in the book, and the characters can continue with their evenings, ignoring the break-in attempts of the Watchers. The change was added as a more cinematic manifestation of the unseen Watchers, lending itself better to developing the creepiness of the situation.

5

The Captives’ Rules Were Invented By The Film

Madeline’s Four Rules Set The Tone Of The Film

In the daylight, the other captives recite the new rules of Mina’s life to her in uncanny unison. “Do not turn your back to the mirror. Do not open the door after dark. Do not go near the burrows. Always stay in the light.” While the book has rules that Madeline often reiterates, there is nothing as dramatic or creepy as these four rules, which the group enumerates dully. These were added to the film as easily digestible and memorable plot points, enhancing The Watchers’ creepiness and visual style.

In the movie, the rules begin to seem rather arbitrary, as the group ends up breaking most of them without serious consequences. Because they aren’t included in the book, they are not well-incorporated throughout the film, acting as general guidelines instead of firm survival rules. On a rewatch, these fake rules are really clues to The Watchers’ big twist, where they are revealed to be part of Madeline’s scheme.

4

Mina Does Not Go Into The Burrow In The Book

Mina’s Open Disobedience Of Madeline’s Rules Is A Movie Element

In the film, Mina realizes that the rules might be fake when she descends into one of the burrows, a hole in the ground where the Watchers go during the day. With Daniel’s help, she looks around the burrow and salvages a bike that might help them escape. She doesn’t even see the danger lurking in the hole as she leaves before noticing the eerie hand watching her. That night, the Watchers attack more violently than ever, proving Madeline’s point that rules are important. Mina returns the bike the next day.

Mina’s scene in the tunnels is not in the book. Again, this is an element added to make the movie more visually compelling and add to the suspense. It also helps develop Mina’s character as a problem-solver and stubborn but brave hero. In the book, the burrows lead the captives closer to escape, as Daniel’s obsession and Mina’s sketches help them recognize a pattern between the burrows.

3

The Look Of The Watchers

The Book Never Physically Describes The Watchers

The book does not explain what the Watchers look like, leaving it open to the readers’ imaginations. Madeline vaguely describes them as “leaner” and “longer.” Mina cannot honestly explain what she sees when she encounters one in person. From her perspective, the Watcher is “a restless animal, driven neither by conscious thought nor soul’s desire. It craved only soft, living flesh, and it thirsted only for blood.”

While vague language like that works in a book, it is harder to translate into a visual format. In the film, Madeline and Mina see the Watchers from behind while stuck in the woods. They are monstrously tall, with long fingers, sharp nails, and animalistic mouths. The Watchers are only briefly seen in their true forms, and the film attempts to keep the creatures vague and scary.

2

Mina’s Victory In The Final Fight With Madeline

The Movie’s Fight Scene Is Much More Drawn Out

The movie has a twist when Mina realizes she has not been revealing her discovery of Madeline’s true identity to Ciara. Instead, she talks to Madeline, who mimics Ciara’s appearance. In the book, Mina is able to speak to the real Ciara first and form a plan before Madeline arrives, eliminating the twist. Instead of a harsh twist in the book, Mina is able to convince Madeline to choose the righteous path without violence.

This confrontation is vastly different from the attempted murder and drawn-out fight scene in the film. In the movie, Mina and Madeline have a much more intense struggle, after Ciara is taken by surprise and knocked out. The fight is more visually compelling than a simple pep talk and translates better to the screen. However, Mina still gives a motivational speech, convincing Madeline to spare her and seek out other halflings.

1

Madeline’s Appearance In The Final Scene

The Book Sets Up A Sequel Better Than The Movie

At the end of the book, Madeline returns to Mina in the form of a middle-aged man to share that there are other halflings in the world. She also informs Mina that she is unsafe, as the other halflings take many forms and disguises, specifically to watch her. This sets up a dramatic and scary cliffhanger in the book, which will be further explored in the next book.

In the movie, Mina tells her sister that she knows Madeline could be anywhere, watching her. The film ends with a shot of a little girl standing on the street, knowingly staring at Mina’s window. With a glance at the camera, the audience understands that this is Madeline in disguise. But for all Mina knows, Madeline is the only halfling that exists. A sequel to The Watchers might be imminent, as Madeline still poses a threat to Mina and Ciara, even though the end of the film suggests she comes in peace.