Before ‘Good Boy,’ Watch the Underrated Sci-Fi Horror Movie ‘Watchers’

Hype is building for the upcoming October theatrical release of Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy, with the movie riding the buzz of the festival circuit, and, of course, starring an adorable dog. Dogs as the focus of horror cinema is certainly not a new concept, with Stephen King’s Cujo firmly embedded in pop culture. Those who went a bit deeper may have found themselves checking out the soul-crushing horror movie by Samuel Fuller, White Dog, or the often-forgotten Australian 1970s shocker The Pack.

Yet, digging into the annals of horror franchises, there is one that is often overlooked, despite having four films released, based on the work of author Dean Koontz: Watchers. A product of the much-loved ’80s era of horror, Watchers’ first film was released in 1988, with the final entry following a decade later. Yet, as there are now those looking for more dog-centric horror, it may be time to give this forgotten franchise another shot.

The ‘Watchers’ Franchise From Start To Finish

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Released a year after Dean Koontz’s novel of the same name, the first Watchers movie would set the groundwork for the entire franchise. Focused around a genetically enhanced golden retriever called Einstein, the first film follows a traveling man, Travis (Corey Haim), who befriends the dog and slowly begins to understand its intelligence. At the same time, a creature in the lab with Einstein, a malevolent force known as the “Outsider,” is also on the loose, killing people to make its way to Einstein. With the government hunting both Einstein and the Outsider, Travis finds himself at the center of a larger conspiracy.

The subsequent sequels would fall in pretty close to the original film, offering not much variation on the formula but with enough tweaks to keep it engaging. Watchers II (1990) features the same setup, with Einstein escaping and finding a human companion with whom he communicates to help him battle the incoming sinister Outsider — starring Marc Singer, who plays an ex-military person on the run. The second one attempts to compensate for a limited budget by adopting a grittier tone and leaning more towards a crime/conspiracy theory movie with horror elements.

The third film, Watchers III, offers the most significant deviation from the source material, switching from the lab to a more military-focused special government agency. Here, the budget restraints are more obvious, with the Outsider looking particularly rough around the edges. This entry is also more geared towards action, with Einstein befriending a soldier at a military base in Central America, played by the late great action screen icon Wings Hauser.

The final entry in the franchise, Watchers Reborn, lives up to its namesake as it attempts to bring the story back to its roots and stay closer to the source material. Approaching the horror film with a noir element, centering the story around a detective looking into a series of government experiments. Here, the most notable aspect of the final entry is that it stars Mark Hamill as the detective who befriends the adorable, clever, and furry Einstein to take on the government. It’s a solid attempt to revamp the franchise, and it is comparable to the first movie. With quality and some deviation, the series is certainly not without its faults, but it has a lot of charm throughout.

What Makes the ‘Watchers’ Films Great Despite Some Shortfalls

Solider attacked by the 'Outsider' in 1994's 'Watchers 3'

The Watchers films have their ups and downs, with two cheesy B-movies sandwiched between more honest attempts to capture the psychological horror and dog-vs-monster plot of the book. Yet throughout the franchise, you have some exceptionally superb casting, with each movie leaning on a beloved cult figure to carry the film. This makes even the paper-thin Watchers 3 passable, thanks to the infinite charisma of Wings Hauser in the lead.

Of course, the most crucial casting of all, that of the genetically engineered and intelligent dog Einstein, also delivers on every feature; the intelligence of Golden Retrievers is always a wonder to see on film when they are tasked with intricate tasks. Watchers II, in particular, features some utterly endearing interactions between lead Marc Singer and Einstein, as the adorable doggo figures out ways to communicate to the grumpy and reactionary protagonist the scale of what he has gotten himself involved with.

The design of the Outsider, while inconsistent, results in some sensational kills that will have horror fans howling when they occur, which alone is a good enough measure of quality. The movies are also crowd pleasers, particularly the middle two, as they combine enough B-movie charm with notable faults, ensuring a like-minded group of cinephiles laughs throughout. The first and fourth films can be enjoyed solo; for those who just want a nostalgic horror offering, they may have previously been overlooked among the slew of ’80s and ’90s movies.

How To Watch the ‘Watchers’ Films

Lisa Wilcox and Mark Hamill in 'Watchers Reborn' (1998)

Purists, when it comes to any horror franchise, will tell you to watch the films in order, but here, it really doesn’t matter. Each story is self-contained, so that you can jump from one to the other in any order. However, the first film has the most significant budget going for it and is, by far, the most competent entry in the franchise, considering effects and quality. The fourth film, returning to a more polished product and with Mark Hamill in the lead, is the second-best in the franchise.

The second is rough around the edges and a bit of a patience tester, while the third is painfully bad. They even commit the unforgivable B-movie sin of recycling footage from the second film. However, the third film could be a favorite for those who love so-bad-it’s-good cinema, and Wings Hauser is wonderfully unhinged, as he often is. If you want to watch the films in order, start with the first, then the fourth, and stop there, or follow up with the second and third in that order.

The Watchers franchise may be overlooked, but it certainly has its charms, especially for those who love horror. Watchers and its sequels are the perfect film series to binge before the release of Good Boy, which is coming to theaters on October 3. Where to stream the Watchers movies:

Watchers (1988) – Available to stream for free on YouTube.
Watchers II (1990) – Available to stream on Tubi.
Watchers III (1994) – Currently unavailable on any official channels/streaming
Watchers Reborn (1998) – Currently unavailable on any official channels/streaming