Director: Scott Stewart
Starring: Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Jake Brennan, Dakota Goyo, and J.K. Simmons
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Synopsis: As the Barret family’s peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them.
Blumhouse Productions have been behind the slow-burning but very successful SINISTER and INSIDIOUS in recent years and they’ve been selling DARK SKIES in a similar vein. However, this standard-named film pretty much defines it, as there’s not a lot said or seen that hasn’t been done before.
In essence, DARK SKIES tries to be a slow-paced, psychological and family-orientated saga but also wants to be a thriller. There’s no doubt that DARK SKIES has occasional moments of heightened sensory excitement entwined with some good scare sequences but fans of this kind of genre will come away disappointed. If you’re a fan of anything like the X-Files or Fringe, then you’ll feel like this was an extended episode. Occasionally, it even leans towards a slight rip-off of M. Night Shyamalan’s SIGNS but with clichéd sentiments and a predictable plot.
On the positive side, Keri Russell is great in her role as Mother of the family Lacy Barrett and Josh Hamilton offers strong support as her cynical husband Daniel. The spooky-kid award goes to the superbly named Kaden Rockett as youngest, affected son Sam with Dakota Goyo trying his best as young teenager Jesse but slightly echoing SUPER 8’s Joel Courtney but without the charisma. DARK SKIES also looks smart, considering its minimal budget, but this doesn’t make up for a lack of narrative development after the fairly standard opening to the film, which sets up the usual ‘this is a normal town’ scenario. There’s even the classic eerie kid’s drawing of a ‘creature’ which has just been done better in the likes of FIRE IN THE SKY, plus a possibly tongue-in-cheek homage to PARANORMAL ACTIVITY when Daniel sets up video cameras to watch his own house.
The legend that is J.K. Simmons offers a solid moment of straight acting, but even his character is defeatist and looks slightly bored with proceedings. DARK SKIES promises much, but delivers little on the story stage but saying that, if you’ve never seen a spooky ‘things from the sky’ style-thriller/horror then this might offer you some solace. DARK SKIES is a generically-titled movie with a customary message that concludes to makes it easily forgettable.
DARK SKIES opens on 5th April.
