This review of Dark Skies is part of our Halloween series of horror movie reviews.
Minor spoilers ahead…
Does anyone remember Dark Skies? It arrived in cinemas back in February 2013, and I don’t recall much buzz around it at the time. On the surface it’s quite unremarkable. A typical American family in a suburban neighbourhood and big house experience strange goings-on. Sound familiar? Of course it does! This came out at the tail end of the Paranormal Activity buzz, which generated lots of similar ghost movies. And you would’ve been forgiven for thinking Dark Skies was yet another one of those. But it mixed up the formula just enough to make a good (if somewhat forgettable) impression on me when I first watched it seven years ago.
Now, having re-watched it this year, I’m pleased to say I enjoyed it just as much as I did in 2013. What separates it from other horror films released at the time is its sci-fi twist. It’s obvious from the very beginning that we’re dealing with something other than demons or ghosts. It’s impossible to miss the ominous quote from Arthur C. Clarke at the start: “Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not, both are equally terrifying”. These words set the tone perfectly and encapsulate everything I think writer/director Scott Stewart wanted to achieve.
Centred around the Barrett family, the film introduces us to husband and wife Daniel (Josh Hamilton) and Lacy (Keri Russell), and their two sons Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and Sammy (Kadan Rockett). All seems well, but as we dig a little deeper it’s clear things aren’t as rosy as they first appear.
Daniel recently lost his job and Lacy is having to support their family alone as a real estate agent. The kids get on well with each other, but teenage Jesse (who was unwell for a long time as a small child) has started hanging around with a brash older boy and younger Sammy talks of his imaginary friend ‘The Sandman’.
Sammy is probably the worst thing about Dark Skies – he’s the typical creepy kid and everything about him is unoriginal. There’s one scene in particular where a sleeping Daniel dreams that Sammy’s eyes have been removed, making for a blatant jump scare. This coupled with the cutesy “what’s wrong, Daddy?” from Sammy just felt so run-of-the-mill for a movie that’s far better during its more subtle moments.
In fact, many of Dark Skies’ jump scares just feel unnecessary. It’s not overtly terrifying anyway, so these frights feel forced – and the sense of looming dread that shrouds the film is far more effective in the long run.
As noted, it’s immediately apparent to the audience that aliens are behind the creepy shenanigans plaguing the family. So, we’re actually just watching and waiting while they figure it out. And that’s fine – the movie tells this story by relying heavily on tried and true genre tropes for its betterment. Daniel has a mysterious rash behind his ear, Lacy experiences lost time, electrical equipment behaves erratically, flocks of birds fly into the house – the list goes on. You’ve probably seen this stuff elsewhere before, but it’s done well here so it doesn’t matter.
Pairing this with a mostly sound cast and strong performances helps keep the narrative moving for the duration. Above all, though, its J.K. Simmons’ role as alien ‘expert’ and seeming conspiracy nut Edwin Pollard that stands out and really shifts this movie up a gear. He’s not featured for long but when Lacy and Daniel turn to him for guidance and a solution to their problems, his menacing but matter-of-fact explanation of the situation really resonates. You come away from the encounter feeling better informed, deeply concerned, and keener still to get to the route of the alien visitations.
Dark Skies tells its story clearly and everything makes sense. The characters’ motivations are logical and explored just enough to earn the audience’s empathy. So, while this isn’t groundbreaking, it’s a spooky 90-odd minutes that will make for an enjoyable watch this Halloween. Sometimes it’s OK for a film to be standard in its narrative, and I appreciate a good, solid, uncomplicated horror movie that’s easy to watch. And that’s exactly what this is.
Overall rating: 6.5/10
Have you seen Dark Skies, and what other horror movies are you watching this Halloween? Let us know in the comment section below, and don’t forget to check out our other reviews…
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Featured Image Credit: Dimension Films
