Friday, December 6, 2013

Dark Skies Review


Writer and director Scott Stewart, who has made awful special effects extravaganzas like Legion and Priest goes the original thriller route this time around. However, Dark Skies is not really that original at all. The movie seems to be a compilation of bits and pieces of movies like Poltergeist, Paranormal Activity, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Birds, and more. Since all the second-hand ingredients are delivered without much style or flair, the movie makes for a pretty insipid dish.

Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton play Lacy and Daniel Barrett, a couple whose world has been shaken ever since Daniel has lost his architect job. After a couple of weird, unsolved break-ins, their teenage son Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and his little brother, Sam (Kadan Rockett), start acting strangely. Sam insists “the Sandman” has come to visit them each night, and strange things keep happening to the family until they realize who the culprits are.

There’s nothing really new in this story, but the Stewart does initially get some mileage out of the economic anxieties reflected in the family’s descent. Russell and Hamilton actually do a good job and take their roles seriously, and this helps the emotional impact of the movie. The movie starts off strong, but for a while it just wanders around as the pace is tedious, and the action is not that thrilling. It’s really a pleasure when J.K. Simmons shows up as a wise paranormal expert, but it’s disappointing since he’s only in the movie for about five minutes.

Ultimately, Dark Skies is one of those mediocre genre mash-ups that really has no reason to exist and will be forgettable in a few months.

Dark Skies - 2.5/5

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