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      The Watcher in the Woods

      PG 1980 1h 24m Fantasy List
      52% 25 Reviews Tomatometer 57% 5,000+ Ratings Audience Score A teenager (Lynn-Holly Johnson) and her younger sister learn their eerie landlady's (Bette Davis) secret at an English country manor. Read More Read Less
      The Watcher in the Woods

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      Critics Consensus

      The Watcher in the Woods boasts plenty of spooky atmosphere and a typically strong performance from Bette Davis, but it builds to a conclusion so dissatisfying that it undermines all that came before.

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      Audience Reviews

      View All (314) audience reviews
      Alec B It's far too compromised by studio meddling to work. Release the original cut you cowards! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/28/24 Full Review Chase C Not too scary but I enjoyed the concept and the explanation of the weirdness was unexpected. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/10/23 Full Review Michael S Scariest movie Disney ever made! Watched it growing up (over and over) and it always gave us the creeps (in the good way). My sister showed it to her friends for dinner night about 2014 and those who hadn't seen it were so scared thst one of them bit another out of fear! Just a few months ago (2022) I watched it with my 13 year old daughter and she got to feel the fear of horror done right. I was tired thst night and every time I closed my eyes I heard "don't make me watch this alone please, please." She loved it! (Maybe a different story if i had fallen asleep and she had to watch it alone?) A true horror classic that stands the test of time. Pro tip. Watch it in the woods on a camping trip! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/11/23 Full Review Emily P This is the most underrated movie ever. I think this is one of the scariest movies ever made. Everything should see the original not the remake. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member If you can get past the poor acting, especially the scene with Holly and the man holding the dog at the door - its a mildly entertaining Disney horror flik — Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review andy h This is one of many forgotten 80s gems that deserve its second life in the cult Disney horror fandom. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Watcher in the Woods

      The Watcher in the Woods (1980) The Watcher in the Woods (1980) The Watcher in the Woods (1980) The Watcher in the Woods (1980) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (25) Critics Reviews
      Gary Arnold Washington Post It symbolizes the confusion that has been undermining Disney's live-action productions. Craving more stimulating material on one hand but still wedded to reassuring coziness on the other, the studio shortchanges both tendencies. Mar 26, 2019 Full Review Bob Thomas Associated Press Watcher in the Woods is a first-class thriller, far superior to the usual run of frightened-girl, creepy house movies. Dec 4, 2018 Full Review Joseph Stannard Sight & Sound The Watcher in the Woods is a haunting, unusual film, steeped in a strange magic that's only enhanced by the dense thicket of rumour and myth that surrounds it. Jul 30, 2018 Full Review Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the Movies A little disjointed but still a strong entry into the young adult horror genre that Disney was playing with in the early 1980s. Rated: 3/4 Feb 21, 2024 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 'has plentiful jump scares' Rated: 3/5 Apr 8, 2022 Full Review Phil Edwards Starburst The Watcher in the Woods is actually not bad at all and brings back happy childhood memories of such other Disney items. Apr 14, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A teenager (Lynn-Holly Johnson) and her younger sister learn their eerie landlady's (Bette Davis) secret at an English country manor.
      Director
      John Hough
      Screenwriter
      Brian Clemens, Harry Spalding, Rosemary Anne Sisson
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Fantasy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Aug 3, 2004
      Runtime
      1h 24m
      Sound Mix
      Surround