The Watchers 4K Ultra HD

"The Watchers" is Ishana Night Shyamalan’s feature film directorial debut. This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its tree line. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers, and why are they keeping the humans imprisoned, keen to watch their every move. (Gary Reber)

Special features include four featurettes; "Welcome To The Show: The Making Of The Watchers" HD 08:50), "Creating The Watchers" (HD 05:02), "Constructing The Coop" (HD 06:16) and "Ainriochtán And The Irish Fairy Folklore" (HD 04:22); deleted scene – "Lair Of Love" (HD 09:29) and a Movies Anywhere digital copy.

The 1.85:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was photographed digitally using the Arri Alexa 65 camera system and sourced from a 4K Digital Intermediate. The picture is filmic with a wonderful earthy forest color palette habituated by four humans, whole humanness is natural with realistic flesh tones that contrast with the shifting daylight and well-lit darkness. The interior lighting within the coop and below ground wonderland provide color as well as Mina's car and the escape across the lake to land and a bus which takes them back to human civilization. HDR contrast is excellent with natural black levels, haunting and dim shadows and realistic white levels. Resolution is excellent with fine detail exhibited in facial features, clothing and object textures. The watcher figures are well defined as well. This is a well crafted visual experience that is haunting and mysterious. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack is effecively dynamic with a haunting low frequency foundation wth strong bass extension. Atmospherics and sound effects are prominent with effective imaging and panning, particularly in the forest scenes. The orchestral score spans a wide and deep soundstage that aggressively extends to the surrounds and envelops the soundfield. The music is eerie. Dialogue is intelligible and with generally good spatial integration for the extensive ADR voicing, and at times directional.

The Immersive Sound element is comprised of a wide range of atmospherics and sound effects, both subtle and strong. and an extension of the music. Dialogue also can be heard at subtle and strong levels. As such, the height layer effectively enhances the spherical height dimension with superb panning and localization for good soundfield dimensionality.

This is an effective holosonic® spherical surround sound design that creates a haunting mood, with excellent atmospherics and sound effects. (Gary Reber)