The Watch

Play trailer

The Watch

R

Released Jul 27, 2012

1h 41m

Comedy

Sci-Fi

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

16%

Tomatometer

166 Reviews

39%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In Glenview, Ohio, four pals -- Evan (Ben Stiller), Bob (Vince Vaughn), Franklin (Jonah Hill) and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade) -- form a neighborhood watch group. Armed with flashlights, walkie-talkies and spiffy new jackets, the guys try to take their mission seriously, even if they spend a little time goofing off now and then. But when they discover aliens living among them, and no one believes their story, they learn that they have to kick things up a notch to save the world from annihilation.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

The Watch uneasily mixes sci-fi elements with gross-out gags and strands its talented cast with a script that favors vulgarity over wit at nearly every turn.

Read Critics Reviews

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

This wants to be (I think) Invasion of the Body Snatchers via Ghostbusters and Attack the Block but succeeds in being nothing but its own dreadful, pitiful, tedious self.

Sep 1, 2018

Full Review

Tim Grierson

Deadspin

"The Watch" is a Dream Team in which no one's drawn up any plays and nobody passes the ball. Everybody just shoots and hopes for the best.

Feb 12, 2013

Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

There's nothing particularly offensive about the piece. But its intergalactic badness does take the breath away.

Rated: 1/5

Aug 24, 2012

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

It might’ve been funny if it wasn’t trying so hard to be funny.

Rated: 1/4

Oct 3, 2022

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

If you're going to give guys as funny as these four stars a story, you need to be more creative than cheesy aliens.

Rated: 1/5

Mar 8, 2022

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

We need more reasons to go to a movie now. The Watch simply does not provide them.

Mar 10, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Ed R

The Watch uneasily mixes sci-fi elements with gross-out gags and strands its talented cast with a script that favors vulgarity over wit at nearly every turn.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

Full Review

Jedi D

Looking at the other reviews for this movie makes me believe people have forgotten how to have fun. Yeah, it's not Close Encounters, but it's fun and stupidly entertaining.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

Full Review

xpig332 B

Boring, just a series of awkward situations. 23 minutes was all I can handle.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/05/25

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is so dumb funny I had to laugh at the bad jokes. It’s a perfect turn your brain off and enjoy the stupidity and some occasional actually funny lines. Perfect late night “idk what to watch but I don’t want to think” movie. Does it make sense? No. Are there answers? No. It goes in so many different directions but it’s entertaining if you want it to be.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/12/25

Full Review

Shane O

Very disappointing, this should have been a good movie but it’s just not. It’s like the actors and script just gives up half way though . There is no heart in this movie

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/24/25

Full Review

Oaklee D

Thoroughly entertaining, found it hilarious. Watch this one with your friends as it's a fun film to watch with others.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Akiva Schaffer

Director

Ben Stiller

Evan Troutwig

Vince Vaughn

Bob

Jonah Hill

Franklin

Richard Ayoade

Jamarcus

Rosemarie DeWitt

Abby

The World's End

89%

72%

The World's End

Watchlist

Idiocracy

71%

61%

Idiocracy

Watchlist

Absolutely Anything

20%

37%

Absolutely Anything

Watchlist

Iron Sky

42%

37%

Iron Sky

Watchlist

Save Yourselves!

89%

60%

Save Yourselves!

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Save Yourselves!

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In Glenview, Ohio, four pals -- Evan (Ben Stiller), Bob (Vince Vaughn), Franklin (Jonah Hill) and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade) -- form a neighborhood watch group. Armed with flashlights, walkie-talkies and spiffy new jackets, the guys try to take their mission seriously, even if they spend a little time goofing off now and then. But when they discover aliens living among them, and no one believes their story, they learn that they have to kick things up a notch to save the world from annihilation.

Director: Akiva Schaffer
Producer: Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: Jared Stern, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 21 Laps Entertainment
Rating: R (Sexual References|Pervasive Language|Some Strong Sexual Content|Violent Images)
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 27, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $34.4M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby

Most Popular at Home Now