Dark Skies (2013)

I have news for you. You know that crazy guy with anorobigheadphobia? Who boards up windows and thinks the aliens are coming to abduct him? Well, the guy isn't crazy. We had the exact same formula in the X-Files. Actually this movie is a mishmash of different popular movies, so don't expect one gram of originality. Acting was top notch up til that moment when the actors lose their minds, then it becomes a comedy. I don't have much else to say, so let me tell you that I DO NOT WANT my money back. Why you may ask. Well, because if I stuff myself in a restaurant then say "the food was bad so I want my money back," it begs the question: if the food was bad then why did you eat it? You can have a taste and return the food but once it's sitting pretty in your belly you can't get your money back. I was bored and the movie was free since I watched it on Netflix.

I freakin' love a good alien encounter movie and this one delivered. It was produced by Jason Blum, who was also behind Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and many others, and I think it does a good job at keeping up consistent pacing (I was never bored throughout the whole movie) and delivering good scares and creepy moments without ever getting too cheesy."Two possibilities exist… Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." – Arthur C. ClarkeIt is very much the classic story of a family trying to live the American dream — but struggling — who are consumed with a horrifying experience. I really loved each of their personalities — maybe the dad, played by Josh Hamilton, least of all, but mostly because he embodied a bit too much of a combination of "tough dad" (going to beat up the older son's friend) and "disbeliever" (thinking his wife is downright crazy for suggesting the weird encounters may be alien in nature). But I thought Lacy, played by Keri Russell, was fantastic (she was apparently the first and only choice for the lead character, understandably), and I really loved the sibling relationship between the brothers (played by Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett).There were two, either intentional or accidental, references to Poltergeist, which I appreciated, even though we've got ghosts vs aliens, but still… two unwelcome, unexpected guests. There was a TV static scene that reminded me very much of the "Star-Spangled Banner" static scene from Poltergeist (when Carol Anne first says "they're here"), as well as the very first odd finding of the kitchen items being stacked up (reminiscent of a similar scene in Poltergeist when the mom turns around to find the chairs all stacked oddly on the table and the drawers pulled out, cabinets open, etc). Again, maybe not intentional, but definitely reminded me immediately.Ultimately, pretty much any movie where a little kid is seeing/understanding what's going on before the adults is going to freak me out. I can't imagine being a parent and hearing some of those creepy things from your kid, especially considering how likely it seems that some children can see and communicate with ghosts, spirits, and other paranormal entities. After Sam initially told Lacy about the "Sand Man" and told her "he did it himself before he came to my room"… SHUDDER.Really, this movie impressed me with the sheer amount of chills and jump scares it delivered. The first time the intruder alarm goes off and Daniel gets a call from the security company and they tell him ALL of the entry points were breached at the same time… NOPE. The photos going missing from their frames, the birds all crashing into the house, Lacy's breakdown at the house showing, Daniel's breakdown in the backyard… all creepy as hell. And when Lacy goes into Sam's room and sees the Gray standing over him… I jumped out of my freaking skin. My husband was asleep next to me and I'm surprised he didn't hear me yell "NO THANK YOU".You just start to feel the amount of helplessness they must be experiencing — between the strange encounters escalating, knowing they aren't in control of their own bodies, having CPS alerted to their "bad parenting", disapproving and judging neighbors, etc — when they visit with Edwin Pollard (played by J.K. Simmons), an expert on The Grays, who essentially tells them they're screwed, one of them is about to be taken, and they need to fight like hell to stop it."People think of aliens as these beings invading our planet in some great cataclysm, destroying monuments, stealing our natural resources. But it's not like that at all. The invasion already happened."They did lose me a bit at this point. I mean, these aliens are clearly capable of doing things beyond our comprehension — they can enter your home without setting off the alarm, they can control your mind, they are using you as lab rats to observe from a great distance — what makes you think a boarded up window and a shotgun is going to stop them? But I did like the "twist" at the ending (though I could have told you it'd be Jesse as soon as he had his experience in the woods), and the last scene — with Jesse trying to communicate with Sam via Walkie Talkie — gave me SERIOUS chills. Super well done movie!

The thing I liked most about this movie is that it didn't rely on heavy special effects to drive it. Some of the best movies have little to no effects at all. Instead this movie relies on acting & building suspense & intrigue. It is your typical "alien abduction" type of movie & the plot is not very original. It follows pretty much the same diagram for all alien abduction movies. Mysterious thing lurking around, children are acting weird, caught a shadowy image on a camera, things go crazy & someone is abducted. That is the typical scenario for these type of films. Still there was a good amount of suspense to create some tension for me & overall I liked it. Not great or revolutionary but good. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars or 7 out of ten.

My review process: watch, ponder, research, write, edit, & post. While researching, I found the negative light surrounding horror studio Blumhouse Productions' "Dark Skies" film made claims like "predictable" & "bland". I do not agree. 40% on Rotten Tomatoes is too harsh. A 6.5 on IMDb is a better match but still insults the creep & dread noticeable technical efforts added to the played plot. That is another key word critics labeled this seemingly-haunted house flick: used. Let's be fair; there are no original ideas anymore, folks. Even if a notion so profound it feels unique, it has likely been done. Variations on a theme are all creators have left to tell a story nowadays. In that light, writer/director Scott Stewart's "Dark Skies" does improve on some levels compared to a certain once-hailed-twist-film-maker's (M. Night Shyamalan) version.Though it took a bit to get over a sub(hair)dued "Felicity" (TV Series 1998–2002), Keri Russell, as the Barrett Mother Lacy, she did bring her all to break her WB curse. Josh Hamilton (American Horror Story Coven) was solid as Patrick Wilson from "Insidious 1 & 2" as Daniel (the dad) from "The Conjuring" in the Barrett family story— all Blumhouse films. The eldest kid, Jesse, played by Dakota Goyo (Thor), was good, but I had difficulty taking him seriously at times with those "MMM-Bop" bangs that were the length of his "magnificently-heroic globe nose"-(Alice in Wonderland" 2010 reference). JK Simmons (Terminator Genisys, TV's The Closer) nonchalantly-played awkward, borderline community-registered-hermit "Edwin Pollard" aka Indy-Tangina-Jones, an odd cluster-or variation if you will-on Zelda Rubinstein's character in "Poltergeist" (1982) & Indiana Jones (only for the hat).With composer Joseph Bishara's unsettling score increasing the terror tenfold but in a less-evident fashion than the other Blumhouse pictures he did which are mentioned above, intense lighting, camera work, & sound effects improved this film in more ways than is likely realized by most. The CGI was unfortunate, but it is so subtly-featured in a limited number of shots, it does not trash this unique shift on the haunted house genre…especially because it is not one. A few decent scares and a whole lot of tension-building are sadly downplayed by how much emphasis is placed upon crushing the () family's reputation & sanity to a breaking point no sane person would reach without snapping. It might be an "alien" concept for some, but "we all go a little mad sometimes". Check it out! You may enjoy it like me!