Rating of
2.5/4
Close Encounters of the Freaky Kind
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/21/13
I was expecting Dark Skies to be another typical horror film - the same possession/strange things in the dark but with an alien angel. Granted, there is a lot of things about Dark Skies that seems overly familiar - but I was impressed that even with the somewhat recycled plot points, I was still happy with the results.
Horror, to me, is so much better when it at least seems plausible that it could happen. Dark Skies presents us with the Barrett family - a family that could come from anywhere: financial straights causing the parents a lot of stress, adolescence doing the same for the oldest son and the youngest is having dreams about the Sandman (a creepy guy from a book his brother reads him over their walkie talkies). It's so... typical that what happens during the course of the film makes it have more impact than if it's happening to stupid teens.
Things start small - the kitchen gets raided, then someone displays their impressive stacking skills but things really get going when the house is targeted by a mass flock of seemingly suicidal birds. Lucy (Keri Russell) starts seeing strange things, as the youngest son (Kadan Rockett) continues to speak to the Sandman while the father (Josh Hamilton) seeks a normal explanation - it's not going to be that easy. Oldest son (Dakota Goyo) not only has to deal with strange happenings, but also the pitfalls of being a teenager (complete with a bad-influence friend and potential girlfriend). When Lucy starts losing hours of her life and the children turn up with bruises and brands - she finally convinces her husband that extraterrestrials may be targeting them.
They turn to an expert (a small role from the always welcome J.K. Simmons) who, unfortunately doesn't have good news. Seems once a family is targeted - they "greys" won't leave them alone - and often take the first person they come in contact with. In fact, the only chance they seem to have is to stick together - you know, as a family. Hey, what better time to come together than the most American of all holidays - the 4th of July. The showdown is impressive - and manages to throw in a the slightest of twists to make things more interesting.
Although the movie borrows from the standard possession films of late - and even a bit of found-footage drama - I think it's presented in such a way that it doesn't feel too warmed over. It's fresh enough to keep the tension pretty high while offering characters and story that are actually compelling. For those who like horror, this is worth it for a night indoors (extra points if it's storming out when you watch it).
