The Watchers Ending Explained: What does that final twist mean for Madeline?

The Watchers Ending Explained: What does that final twist mean for Madeline?
The Watchers is a horror supernatural film and here's The Watchers ending explained | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Watchers, a recently released horror supernatural film, is the first directorial venture of Ishana Night Shyamalan. With fans wondering about the ending of the movie, the following article explains how the film concludes. Before delving into the ending, this is a recap of the movie.

The Watchers is about Mina, a girl in her late twenties who works at a pet store in Ireland. Estranged from her twin sister, Lucy, Mina still grieves the loss of her mother.

Her boss assigns her task to deliver a coveted golden conure parrot to a zoo on the opposite side of the country. As she drives down to the zoo, her car breaks down in the middle of a forest. Mina takes the parrot and follows an old woman, Madeline who guides her to shelter. What unravels next is a story of horror and mysterious creatures.

The Watchers cast features Dakota Fanning as Mina/Lucy, Olwen Fouere as Madeline, John Lynch as Professor Kilmartin, Oliver Finnegan as Daniel, Georgina Campbell as Ciara, and Alistair Brammer as John.

Disclaimer: The following article consists of major spoilers from The Watchers. Please be mindful going forward.


What was the final twist for Madeline in The Watchers?

In The Watchers ending, Madeline is revealed to be a halfling outcasted by other changelings | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
In The Watchers ending, Madeline is revealed to be a halfling outcasted by other changelings | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

In The Watchers, the final twist for Madeline is that she is a halfling. After Mina makes it out of the forest, she hurries to the university to destroy Professor Kilmartin's research on the changelings, as he asked. Mina finds in the research that humans and changelings would together peacefully and would even mate to produce halflings, half-human, and half-changelings.

Unlike the changelings, the halflings had the power to walk and withstand daylight. Soon after, humans banished changelings to the forests where the latter would learn to mimic the former so they could secretly live among humans.

Mina runs to destroy Professor's research on changelings | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Mina runs to destroy Professor's research on changelings | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

It is then revealed that the real Madeline was Kilmartin's wife. She died years ago due to cancer. Mina comes to the terrifying realization that the Madeline she and the others have been interacting with is actually a halfling in Madeline's form.

Mina rushes to inform Ciara of her findings. As Mina tells Ciara the truth about the halfling Madeline, the real Ciara enters the house. Mina and Ciara soon realize that the halfling has taken Ciara's form.

Afraid that her secret is out, Madeline attempts to kill Ciara and Mina and take Mina's form. Madeline tells Mina how the former was rejected by the other changelings as she could walk during the day. Mina convinces Madeline to let her go. The film ends with Madeline watching over Mina in the form of a human child.


Why does Madeline let Mina and Ciara go in the end?

Mina appeals to Madeline's half-human side and convinces her to find other halflings | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Mina appeals to Madeline's half-human side and convinces her to find other halflings | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

As Madeline prepares to kill Mina and Ciara, Mina decides to appeal to Madeline's half-human side. She appeals to Madeline that if she were to let Mina and Ciara go, she could go out in search of the other halflings like her. As Madeline's half-human side feels emotions like a human, Mina compassionately convinces her to find others like her.

Mina empathasises with Madeline as she has also lived alone estranged from her family. Madeline spares Mina and Ciara. She then uses her wings and flies away from the scene convinced to find other halflings like her.


What happened to John, Daniel, and Professor Kilmartin by the end of The Watchers?

The Watchers is on Apple TV+, Hulu, Max, and Amazon Prime Video
The Watchers is on Apple TV+, Hulu, Max, and Amazon Prime Video

By the end of the film, John gets dragged away by the watchers in their hideaways and is never seen again (not counting the changeling who took his form).

As Daniel, Mina, and Ciara try to escape using Professor Kilmartin's boat, a watcher disguised as John kills Daniel. As for Professor Kilmartin's fate, it is later revealed in the film that he was killed by the halfling he had trapped who later disguised herself as Madeline.


The Watchers is on Apple TV+, Hulu, Max, and Amazon Prime Video.

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Edited by Apoorva Jujjavarapu