Back in the good ol’ days of Disney before putrid sludge like High School Musical and Hannah Frickin’ Montana, you got cool little movies like The Watcher In The Woods. This was back when you could make a “family” horror film and have it work.
Watcher deals with a family moving into a nice new home near the woods. Bette Davis, the previous owner of the house, still lives on the grounds and becomes interested in the older daughter, Jan, who reminds her of her daughter who had disappeared under bizarre circumstances in the woods many years ago. Jan starts to notice bizarre goings on with the woods like flashing lights, eerie messages from her younger sister, and images of a blindfolded girl who seems to be begging for help. This starts Jan on an investigation to find out what happened to this girl and how to help her, whether she’s alive or dead. This movie was quite good, and with alot of the plot points I can’t help but think that recent movies like The Ring, Stir of Echoes, or any of the other billion movies that deal with a ghostly child, have in some part been influenced by this movie. This manages a great sense of spookiness throughout with practically zero violence or death.
You’re not gonna be lying trembling under a blanket with fear crying for mommy or anything, but to create spookiness with what is practically G-rated material is impressive. Then in the last five minutes or so of the film, there’s a big zinger thrown at you that shifts the entire plot. This twist, which jumps right into sci-fi almost, may seem a bit corny, but you gotta admit it’s original. This forgotten classic from the Wonderful World of Disney is well worth checking out.
