Dark Skies Review

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."