Dark Skies
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Subtle but dull alien invasion movie has scares, edgy stuff.

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Dark Skies
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Based on 7 parent reviews
Delicious Movie for all of my peeps XD
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Good movie, but vulgar lingo
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What's the Story?
In troubled times, Daniel Barrett (Josh Hamilton) can't find a job, and his wife, Lacy (Keri Russell), must keep the family afloat as a real estate saleswoman. On top of that, intruders seem to be breaking into their house, making messes and stealing photos, as well as building bizarre sculptures out of kitchen items. Soon their youngest son, Sam (Kadan Rockett), starts exhibiting strange behavior, and hundreds of birds suddenly slam into the house. And older son Jesse (Dakota Goyo) begins to find teenage life extraordinarily difficult. A visit to a mysterious specialist (J.K. Simmons) confirms that aliens -- called "the greys" -- have been visiting, and that there's not much they can do to stop a potential abduction. Or is there?
Is It Any Good?
Without the aliens, the movie might actually have made an interesting drama. Director Scott Stewart, formerly of the San Francisco special effects house The Orphanage, has previously made two great-looking but jumbled movies, Legion and Priest, both drawing on strong ideas from the past but failing to make much new out of them. He continues in that vein here, although DARK SKIES is at least subtler and more character based than expected.
With the aliens, however, it appears to draw heavily on movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Poltergeist, building a mystery and making use of silences and empty spaces in addition to small character dramas. Unfortunately, it all adds up to very little. The story is oddly pessimistic. Nothing is learned, no victory is achieved, and even the expected "twist" ending is curiously dull. It's as if the aliens have already won.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dark Skies' violence. How much is actually shown? How much is threatened, but not shown? Which is scarier, and why? What's the difference between the simple jump-shocks and the more nightmarish imagery?
What's the relationship among the four family members like? What mistakes do they make? What do they do right?
What makes alien invasion movies so popular? How does this one compare to others you've seen?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 22, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: May 28, 2013
- Cast: Dakota Goyo, J.K. Simmons, Keri Russell
- Director: Scott Stewart
- Studio: Dimension
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Space and Aliens
- Run time: 95 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: violence, terror throughout, sexual material, drug content and language - all involving teens
- Last updated: June 2, 2023
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