MovieChat Forums > The Watcher in the Woods (1981) Discussion > I Like the Suprise Ending

I Like the Suprise Ending

posted 20 years ago by goodfellow408
2 replies | jump to latest

CONTAINS SPOILERS
A lot of people are very unsatisfied with the ending, a.k.a. finding out the movie was really about an "alien", not a ghost. but i think it works really well, and kind of separates this movie from all the other horror films that simply have a ghost haunting a certain location because they died tragically at that spot you know blah blah. and you would never really suspect that karen will be brought back; i was just assuming they would find out how she really died and that would be the big climax.
As for the watcher's true identity, I think this watcher was just as lost and scared on this world as karen is in hers. Really everything the watcher did was to help others: saving Jan from being hit by that motorcycle, saving Ellie from being hit by a truck, allowing Karen to be freed. The watcher was just forced to wait in the forest until another eclips. I think the whole seance, and what exactly they say while holding hands, is not necessary to do. The watcher just needs an eclipse for the "magnetic pull" as they put it, an image similar to Karen's in order to bring her out of suspended animation, and the power of several people holding hands.
Loved the movie!! If you are a fan of the scary movie genre, this is an excellent one with a superb plot.

[–] Siriusje 20 years ago

Karen was switched to the other "demention" during a solar eclipse where 3 people hold each others hand and say things (We're looking to you, Karen Alywood etc). The watcher told this to Jan & Mrs Aylwood by taking control over Ellie's body and writing things down during that last night.
He needed Jan to convince John Keller, Tom Colley and Mary Flemming. I think that's the reason why he saved Ellie from being hit by the truck and Jan by the motorcycle. He knew they were "the chosen" to bring him back to his own world.
The Watcher could leave the wood, but he wanted to return to his own world and knew the only way to return is when the same people hold each others hands during a total solar eclipse (That's why he left all those messages and signs for Jen).
I also think Mrs Aylwood knew Jan would be the perfect person to find out what happened to her daughter.
"She's going to stay here... is that what you wanted?"
Mrs Aylwood stalked Jan since the beginning of the movie. The best example for this is when she fell in the water. Mrs Aylwood was immediately there to safe her life.
The Watcher planned this before he actually saw the family Curtis. The old lady you see in the beginning driving the car called Mrs Aylwood, even though Mrs Aylwood never answered the phone. It's obvious the Watcher prevented this, because Mrs Aylwood is not the most friendly individual you can imagine and either the family Curtis or Mrs Aylwood would refuse to stay there.

"Shame on you if you fool me once, Shame on me if you fool me twice

[–] goodfellow408 18 years ago

Wow thanks for that explanation Siriusje!! It actually made the movie make a lot more sense... I thought I finally had a grasp on the plot, but I didn't really realize the way the Watcher was coordinating all these people to meet back at that spot.
There's one thing you say that I don't totally understand yet...

"The old lady you see in the beginning driving the car called Mrs Aylwood, even though Mrs Aylwood never answered the phone. It's obvious the Watcher prevented this, because Mrs Aylwood is not the most friendly individual you can imagine and either the family Curtis or Mrs Aylwood would refuse to stay there. "

Could you clarify this?

Thanks, I really want to put together this final piece of the puzzle