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Hollywood and nepotism are two things that go hand in hand it seems. While the concept of nepotism is not new, recently it has gained more traction as more and more people are pointing out how every other actor that gets inducted into the Hollywood regime turns out to be a son, a daughter, a niece or nephew of another Hollywood personality.
M. Night Shyamalan is a name in the directorial world that fans clamor to, especially when it comes to the horror and thriller genre. His movies likeThe Sixth Sense, Split, Glass, Unbreakable,and so many more have made him a name in the industry. Actors and audiences alike are amazed by his incredible filmmaking, who is known to be one of the very best working in the directorial field in Hollywood. And now, his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan seems to following in her father’s footsteps, as her debut filmThe Watcherstake to screens.
Ishana Night Shyamalan’s Directorial Debut Is a Nepotism Nightmare
Based on the novel by A. M. Shine of the same name,The Watchersis the directorial debut for Ishana Night Shyamalan. StarringDakota Fanningin the lead with Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, and Oliver Finnegan, the movie has been received quite poorly by the critics, with only a 33% score onRotten Tomatoesso far.
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While the reviews don’t deem the movie to be bad, so far, they have been pretty mediocre, with not a lot of great things being said about the direction. Fanning’s performance alongside Campbell is being praised by many, but Ishana Shyamalan hasn’t hit the mark with her debut movie. This doesn’t bode well for the young director, who seems to be walking the line on the nepotism scale.
While she has a knack for good stories, her execution needs work. Although, this is only Shyamalan’s first venture in the directorial world, so hopefully we will get better projects from her in the future, that are not just halfway good, but can hold the attention of the audience till the very end. That has been the biggest issue withThe Watchers.
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But if we can say one thing, it will be that nepotism is not enough to bring in the numbers anymore. As audiences are getting smarter by the day, they want projects that have grit and substance that can hold their attention, and bring out conversations. AndThe Watchersis proof that having a famous parent is not the golden ticket to success.
Fans React to Ishana Night Shyamalan’s Debut MovieThe Watchers
As it would seem, being the daughter of someone likeM. Night Shyamalandoes have it’s perks. With his talent in filmmaking, it’s no doubt that his daughter would grow to reap the benefits and learn from one of the bests. And it is not to say that Ishana lacks talent, as for a debut movie, the reviews so far have had some positives. But the overall execution is lacking, and given her novice stature, even if she is the daughter of a filmmaking pro, that is to be expected. Hopefully, with time, gaining more experience will do her good, as she ventures deeper into this world of cinema.
Fans, some of who are looking forward to seeThe Watchersadaptation, and others who want to see Ishana in her element, both have expressed their eagerness for the movie. Unfortunately, theRT scorehas put a damper on it. Let’s take a look at what they have to say:
Dude no I was gonna go see this tomorrow
— Movie Bum 🗑️ (@jsmovies_)July 02, 2025
Uff not promising.. I was really curious about it 🤞pic.twitter.com/5XUvB9SUHK
— Box Office Forecast 🎬 (@BoxOfficeFcst)July 17, 2025
— The Wealth Dad (@thewealthdad)June 20, 2025
Is it bad or not woke enough? Low critic score means one of those 2 things.
— BigJuicyBootay (@BootayJuicy)June 21, 2025
Continuing the family tradition
— DUNGEON DRAKEN (@NOAHAN_101)August 01, 2025
Go see it anyway. Form your own opinion. Objective quality isn’t real. I loved this one.
— Jade! (@RigbyGender)June 28, 2025
The Watcherswill be released on July 22, 2025.
Swagata Das
Senior Features Editor / Reviewer
Articles Published :356
Swagata works as a Senior Features Editor at FandomWire. Having previously worked as a Content Writer, her passion for everything pop culture became her true calling as she now works with a global team of writers to brainstorm unique, groundbreaking ideas. Having done her Masters in English Literature, Swagata is a self-professed K-Pop addict with an affinity to work her charms on unsuspecting friends to induct them into the fandom cult.
