Rated
PG-13 (Violence, Terror Throughout, Sexual Material, Drug Content and
Language—All Involving Teens)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 37 Minutes
Cast-
Keri
Russell-Lacy Barrett
Josh
Hamilton-Daniel Barrett
Dakota
Goyo-Jesse Barrett
Kadan
Rockett-Sam Barrett
J.K.
Simmons-Edwin Pollard
L.J.
Benet-Kevin Ratner
Rich
Hutchman-Mike Jessop
Myndy
Crist-Karen Jessop
Annie
Thurman-Shelly Jessop
Jake
Washburn-Bobby Jessop
Ron
Ostrow-Richard Klein
Judith
Moreland-Janice Rhodes
Kenneth
Meseroll-Pete
Trevor
St. John-Alex Holcombe
Andy
Umberger-Doctor Jonathan Kooper
Directed
by Scott Stewart
 |
| Demons, ghosts, aliens...they're all the same! |
Note: Screened on Thursday, February 21, 2013 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.
It's
not just demonic entities and ghosts that are haunting the suburbs, now there
are aliens too! "Dark Skies" is the latest film from former visual
effects guru Scott Stewart, who made his directorial debut back in 2010 with
the critically-panned "Legion," starring Paul Bettany as the
archangel Michael. Bettany reunited with Stewart for 2011's "Priest,"
which somehow received even worse reviews. Like many of the recent horror films
from Blumhouse Productions, "Dark Skies" is part of the haunted
house/found footage subgenres but trades demonic possession and ghostly
encounters for little grey aliens. The film did not inspire much confidence
leading up to its release, with initial previews being met with guffaws from
the audience and nary a single critic to be found (besides me) during the
advance screening on Thursday night. I was surprised that Dimension Films even
bothered to screen it at all, although it was scheduled mere hours before its
general release, certainly not enough time to get a review out. "Dark
Skies" is by far the best work
that Stewart has put out but that's not exactly high praise since the film is
still pretty mediocre. The direction is competent enough yet the film fails to
provide much in the way of originality, excitement, or even scares, and
eventually devolves into an absurd farce.
Daniel and Lacy Barrett (Josh
Hamilton and Keri Russell) are your typical American couple living in the suburbs
with their two children, Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and Sam (Kadan Rockett). However,
the Barrett Family's sense of normalcy begins to crack after they experience a
series of strange phenomena during the lead up to the Fourth of July, with
signs of an animal ransacking their fridge, furniture being bizarrely
rearranged, and photos vanishing from inside their frames. Adding to the stress
is Daniel struggling to find employment after being laid off from his job as an
architect while realtor Lacy tries to pay the bills but is unable to sell any
new properties to clients. As the occurrences in their home escalate, Daniel
and Lacy come to the conclusion that the menace may be extraterrestrial in
origin and seek the help of an online expert named Edwin Pollard (J.K. Simmons)
on how to stop 'The Greys.'
Shamelessly derivative, "Dark Skies"
brings little new to the table, with any flashes of potential dragged down by Stewart's
banal script and languid pace. The story follows the same template seen in
films like "Insidious" and "Sinister," which finds Lacy inexplicably
waking up each night only to discover something weird. The next day, she and
her husband struggle to rationally explain away said weirdness while dealing
with their own personal problems. It's a repetitive exercise that fails to
offer an ounce of tension or suspense, with Stewart aping Tobe Hooper's
"Poltergeist" and even Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" as
the Barrett's home is suddenly bombarded by flocks of birds going kamikaze. Of
course, the youngest child proves to be the most vulnerable, making innocent
drawings of his otherworldly visitors and suffering from nightmares. By the
time Lacy is banging her head against the door and Daniel is sleepwalking
around with his 'O' face, "Dark Skies" has turned into an
unintentional comedy. At their wits end, the two parents meet with an 'expert'
and are given a short test to make sure that they're not crazy. It's hard not
to laugh as the two fearfully nod 'Yes' at every question. The expert then doles
out a long explanation, leaving you to wonder why he didn't just post all this
information online and save the Barrett's gas money. Even more head-scratching
is why the aliens are going through all this trouble of tormenting the family
when they only need one of them. At least Stewart tries to build a creepy
atmosphere, keeping the aliens as little more than dark silhouettes. This leads
to the film's sole bright spot where the Barrett's try to fight back (on the
Fourth of July ironically), culminating in a surreal scene and a twist that was
not entirely unexpected. A sequel is set up but given Stewart's previous track
record, it's unlikely to come to fruition.
Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton are convincing
in their roles as a married couple who find themselves literally in
"X-Files" territory, as are Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett, who play
their sons. The script gives each of them their own mini-subplot, allowing for
more character development than what is typically shown in similar genre films.
Daniel and Lacy are struggling to make ends meet while Jesse is on the cusp of
adolescence, with Sam wondering if his parents will stay together. None of this
material is exceptional but it shows that Stewart can write real characters. If
only he applied that same effort to the rest of the story.
Released on February
22, 2013, "Dark Skies" has received largely negative reviews with 38%
on Rotten Tomatoes. This shouldn't come as a total surprise considering the
film wasn't screened for critics in advance. The screening I attended was for
general audiences and of course, they couldn't keep their mouths shut. It's
getting to the point where I'm seriously thinking about seeing horror films in
the morning in order to avoid all the rowdy teenagers and obnoxious adults…but
I digress. Box office wise, it's looking at a disappointing debut as the film
has only earned an estimated $3.09 million. Still, I'm sure it'll turn a small
profit since the budget was a measly $3.5 million. "Dark Skies" may
offer some well-rounded characters but the film fails to drum up much
excitement or even cheap thrills, content with recycling the same old formula.
It's by no means terrible, just perfectly mediocre.
Final
Rating: 2 out of 5
"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."
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