Starring Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton
Directed by Scott Stewart
Given that Dark Skies marketing campaign flaunts the pedigree of its financial backers (the producers of the Paranormal Activity franchise) rather than the track record of director Scott Stewart (responsible for the much-derided Legion and Priest), its not surprising that the film itself feels like a slight variation on a proven seller rather than the product of anyones artistic vision. You almost expect the posters to read, Already love our haunted house flicks? Now try one with an extraterrestrial twist!
Given such aspirations (or lack thereof), Stewart is largely content to shamelessly lift from other films. When things start going bump in the night, Laci (Keri Russell) wanders into her kitchen and discovers the foodstuffs inexplicably stacked like the chairs in Poltergeist. Eager to protect their sons (Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett) from their mysterious trespassers, her husband Daniel (Josh Hamilton) installs Paranormal Activity-style surveillance cameras and compulsively reviews the footage. When all else fails, Laci and Daniel call on a standard-issue oddball supernatural expert (J.K. Simmons) who breaks the bad news: they have aliens.
The fact that Simmons is at a loss to explain the visitors ultimate objective proves extremely telling. Likewise, Dark Skies seems to be operating without purpose. Its content to reel off strange occurrences without ever stoking that essential sense of dread. With generating suspense beyond his capabilities, Stewart relies on jump shocks.
If youre looking for something to legitimately terrify you until the next assault of sound and CGI jolts you from your stupor, I recommend taking a moment to consider how the standards for scares have fallen.
