Now Showing: Watchmen

 

Watchmen

Genre: Thriller/Drama/Superhero

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Writer: Alex Conn

Based on the DC Comics series

Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Justin Timberlake, Katherine Langford, Tony Curran, Matthew Fox, Allison Janney, Dominic Sessa

Plot: The film opens with a close-up of the Doomsday Clock, ticking ominously closer to midnight, creating an atmosphere thick with impending disaster. The clock hand subtly shifts to five minutes to midnight, the sound growing louder as the screen fades into The Comedian’s dark, smoke-filled apartment. Eddie Blake, The Comedian (Aaron Eckhart), sits in his bathrobe, surrounded by Nixon posters and photos of his violent past with the Watchmen and the Minutemen. He flips through channels until stopping at a news broadcast discussing rising global tensions. A polished host details the Soviet Union’s recent weapon stockpiling and posits that this aggression is a direct result of Dr. Manhattan’s unchecked power.

On the TV, Nathaniel Parker (Dominic Sessa), an anti-war activist and former UCLA chapter president of Students for a Democratic Society, condemns the use of Dr. Manhattan as a government weapon. Parker promotes his upcoming book, The War Crimes of Dr. Manhattan, in which he criticizes how the American government used Manhattan’s powers to force Vietnam under U.S. rule, committing atrocities under the guise of victory. Parker recounts that Dr. Manhattan’s actions in Vietnam — under orders but unpunished — were the reason America annexed Vietnam as a U.S. state. The Comedian chuckles and mutters, “Dumb hippie,” but suddenly, his laughter is interrupted as a shadowy figure breaks into his apartment. The intruder is masked, moving with brutal efficiency, throwing The Comedian across the room and viciously beating him. In his final moments, Blake manages to stagger toward his gun but is overpowered, gasping curses until he’s hurled out of his window to his death, leaving a blood-splattered smiley face button behind.

As police investigate the crime scene, Rorschach (Tony Curran) arrives, narrating in his harsh, raspy voice. “October 12th, 1984. A Comedian died tonight. Nobody cares.” He stalks the apartment, recounting how society dismissed The Comedian as a “white supremacist, a Nazi, a warmonger.” Rorschach dismisses such judgments, believing only men like The Comedian understand the harsh reality of the world. In his journal, he records his belief that Blake was targeted, speculating that someone is picking off masked heroes, though no one seems to care. He pockets the bloodstained smiley-face button before slipping away into the night.

Meanwhile, Dan Dreiberg (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the former Nite Owl, sits in his dim, cluttered home, reading about The Comedian’s death. A shadow passes behind him, and he turns to see Rorschach, who helps himself to a can of beans from Dan’s kitchen. Rorschach wastes no time, accusing Dan of “sitting around” while their former colleagues are being killed. He warns that The Comedian’s murder is only the beginning and suggests a larger conspiracy. Dan resists, pointing out that The Comedian was controversial and had many enemies. He recalls stories of Blake’s cruel actions, such as killing a pregnant Vietnamese woman while laughing, a moment Dan can’t forget. Rorschach dismisses Dan’s concerns, calling him naive. He condemns the post-Watchmen world, railing against the “decay” and “cowardice” that he sees overtaking society. His voiceover resumes in a new journal entry, his tone seething with contempt for what he calls a society “falling apart under political correctness.”

The film shifts to Adrian Veidt (Justin Timberlake), who delivers a presentation on his company’s advancements in renewable energy. Veidt is charming, composed, and visionary as he explains how he’s harnessed Dr. Manhattan’s abilities to create a clean, sustainable power source. The camera captures Veidt’s intensity and charisma, contrasting him sharply with the darker, broken lives of the other former heroes. However, behind his confident facade, there’s a hint of cold calculation.

In a separate scene, Laurie Juspeczyk (Katherine Langford), formerly the second Silk Spectre, argues with Dr. Manhattan (Matthew Fox) in their stark, sterile apartment. Laurie, frustrated by Manhattan’s emotional distance, confronts him, accusing him of no longer caring about humanity. Manhattan gazes out the window, his mind seemingly elsewhere, unfazed by Laurie’s plea. “Time is simultaneous,” he murmurs, detached, as he explains he no longer experiences human emotions in the way she wishes. Laurie, devastated, leaves him, seeking solace with Dan, with whom she shares memories of their past lives as heroes.

Back on the streets, Rorschach uncovers more disturbing clues as he digs deeper into what he believes is a conspiracy. He follows leads through grimy alleys and shady informants, discovering that several former heroes have disappeared or met with suspicious “accidents.” In voice-over, he writes in his journal about the world’s decay, consumed by corruption and apathy, as he walks through a decaying cityscape marked by graffiti, “Who Watches the Watchmen?” In a tense scene, Rorschach encounters Nathaniel Parker, who continues to publicly condemn the actions of Dr. Manhattan and the American government, accusing them of “state-sponsored terror.”

The film flashes back to Vietnam, where a young Comedian stands over a Vietnamese woman, who pleads for her life. Laughing coldly, he raises his gun and shoots her, ignoring her cries. Manhattan stands nearby, silent and unfazed, observing the carnage with dispassion. The memory is disturbing, serving as a reminder of the darkness that permeates the Watchmen’s history. Rorschach watches the broadcast of Parker’s interview, disgusted by the young man’s idealism, feeling it blinds him to the reality of power.

Rorschach eventually brings his findings to Dan, who reluctantly agrees to help. They investigate a lead that brings them to Adrian Veidt’s corporate tower, where they meet Veidt himself. Veidt is calm, almost sympathetic, but subtly condescending. He deflects their questions with poise, suggesting that The Comedian’s death could simply be the result of his own unsavory associations. After they leave, Veidt makes a quiet, private call, hinting at a larger scheme unfolding.

As Rorschach and Dan dig deeper, Laurie joins them, desperate for some sense of belonging and feeling betrayed by Manhattan’s increasing indifference. The three former heroes begin to see Veidt’s involvement in a series of unsettling incidents. Laurie, still emotionally torn, reflects on her strained relationship with Manhattan and her complicated family history, especially her mother, Sally Jupiter (Allison Janney), the original Silk Spectre. Sally lives in a quiet, faded world of memories, still clinging to relics of her past. In one poignant scene, Sally confides to Laurie her regret over her complicated love for The Comedian, admitting to feeling shame but also affection.

Meanwhile, Dr. Manhattan, isolated and indifferent, spends time on Mars, constructing elaborate crystalline structures. Lost in his detachment from human emotions, he reflects on his relationship with Laurie, observing her pain as a distant memory. Manhattan’s visions flicker, showing moments from his life and the lives of those he once knew. His gaze is expressionless, haunted by the realization that he’s slipping further away from humanity.

As tensions mount, Rorschach uncovers Veidt’s true plan. Veidt believes the only way to unify a fractured world and avoid nuclear destruction is through a catastrophic event that will force humanity to rally together. He plans to teleport a genetically engineered psychic creature into New York City, creating a massive explosion, framing it as an extraterrestrial threat. This, Veidt believes, will end the Cold War and usher in an era of peace. Veidt’s logic is chillingly calm, viewing the sacrifice of millions as a necessary step for global unity. He believes he alone has the courage to make the decision no one else can.

Rorschach, horrified, vows to expose Veidt’s plan, but Veidt outmaneuvers him, anticipating his every move. Veidt tries to convince Dan and Laurie, saying that only such an extreme measure can bring peace. Dan is conflicted, recognizing the horrific logic in Veidt’s plan but deeply disturbed by the ruthless means. Laurie is aghast, appalled by Veidt’s cold willingness to sacrifice so many lives.

Dr. Manhattan returns to Earth, drawn to the disturbance he senses unfolding. He confronts Veidt in his Antarctic fortress, where Veidt reveals his plan in full, calmly explaining the necessity of his actions. He points out that Manhattan’s own detachment makes him an unwitting accomplice, suggesting that even Manhattan cannot stop him. In a shocking move, Veidt activates the teleporter, and the creature is delivered into the heart of New York City. A devastating explosion and psychic wave follow, devastating New York City. The world erupts in panic and confusion, but leaders worldwide unite, blaming the destruction on a perceived alien threat, just as Veidt had planned.

Rorschach, refusing to be silent, decides he must tell the world the truth, no matter the consequences. Dan and Laurie plead with him to reconsider, understanding the fragile peace that’s been achieved through Veidt’s deception. Dr. Manhattan confronts Rorschach, who defiantly declares, “Never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon.” Manhattan realizes he has no choice and disintegrates Rorschach, ensuring that Veidt’s plan remains hidden.

Dan and Laurie, left in the aftermath, return to Sally Jupiter’s house, where Laurie finds comfort in her mother’s arms, reconciling their shared pain and loss. Dr. Manhattan, his last ties to humanity severed, returns to Mars, perhaps to another galaxy, a god abandoning Earth.

The film closes with Dan and Laurie attempting to move on, haunted by the knowledge of Veidt’s actions and Rorschach’s death. As the screen fades.