It's hard not to compare Ishana Night Shyamalan's film debut to the work of her father M. Night Shyamalan. Aside from the first name in the credits, They See You looks and feels exactly like a work by the former child prodigy who became infallible with The Sixth Sense but then suffered shipwrecks again and again. Despite all the setbacks, he was always a topic of conversation and was able to make films that were sometimes more successful and other times less successful. Thanks to a new contract with Warner, which will not only release its next film Trap: No Way Out (in theaters from August 8, 2024), but also They See You, which Papa Shyamalan produced, a matter of honor.
Shyamalan's signature is recognizable from the first minute. The narrative is not slow, but it is solid. Unimportant characters, like main character Mina's boss (Dakota Fanning, The Equalizer 3 – The Final Chapter), remain out of sight. Shyamalan Junior tries to keep the plot as concentrated as possible. He succeeds and soon we find Mina, a bird in a cage and a lot of fog in a forest from which there seems to be no escape.
Director: Ishana ShyamalanWriters: Ishana Shyamalan, A.M. ShineStars: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré
An old woman, played by the wonderful Olwen Fouéré (who we have previously seen in Mandy and the recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre, among others), acts first as savior and then as explainer. There's a lot of explanation, which would be nice if it was followed by something that at least gave a sense of purpose. But The Watchers (the original title) believes more in exposition than motivation. This leads to the few really important characters behaving in an almost absurd manner. Daniel's (Oliver Finnegan, Creeped Out) psyche, for example, seems completely designed to integrate conflict in some way. So be it.
All of this would be bearable if the film had even the slightest suspense. What is offered in this regard, however, is hot air, which is then repressed and released at the end for a resolution that evokes neither the great feeling of an aha nor an oh of wonder. Admittedly, who the Rangers ultimately are is something no one will find out so quickly. Which is not to say that the mandatory resolution is smart or ingenious. Quite the opposite. All this is nothing more than the fulfillment of a duty, although the script, or rather the AM Shine novel, uses an area that is not without charm.
At least there are some moments in the film that cause a slight chill. For example, when we see the threat more clearly for the first time and it looms in front of us. They are only brief moments, which are also compensated by the lack of tension, but Ishana Night Shyamalan demonstrates at least rudimentarily that he is capable of creating effective images. The only problem is that they do not penetrate the public's mind, at least in their film debut. But although the film is captured by the retina, there is not much room for deep reflection. However, one question involuntarily makes its way throughout the film: What is the point? The film fails to respond.
Ishana Night Shyamalan’s “They See You” lacks deep tension. The occasional scary moments are too brief and perfunctory, and the resolution is disappointing. Despite the ambitious approaches and atmospheric images, the film cannot compensate for the lack of substance and the often implausible performances of the characters. Unfortunately, this is not a promising film debut, but rather a sobering one for the director.
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