Family torn apart by DARK SKIES

DARK SKIES  (2013) | Rated PG-13 | Dimension Films | Director: Scott Stewart

Running time 1 hour, 37 minutes | Reviewer's Score B

This past weekend I went and saw the film  “Dark Skies” as it opened up in theaters.  The film is a science-fiction horror film that would interest anyone who enjoys horror, thriller, or suspenseful films and is at least 13 years old.  

The filmmakers want to scare. They do a solid job at building up the suspense. Watching "Dark SKies" provided me with all the things that a thriller should. The movie had typical shock factors and and a fair amount of creepiness capable of making people, or at least me, jump from time to time.

The film tells the story of a small family living in the suburbs. As time goes on stranger and stranger things begin to happen around the house.  The peculiar events seem to take a toll on  the family’s youngest son, Sammy. The family soon finds out that they have been chosen, for whatever reason, by terrifying beings. The family seeks to protect each other as they struggle for the solution.

The main theme of this film is the importance of family. Throughout the film, the family struggles to get by together, tackling issues such as, financial problems, marital problems, the safety of the entire family and specifically the children. Any action that takes place throughout the whole film is spawned from something done to try and help the family survive.

Another theme of this film is the supernatural. As the family struggles to find a solution and explanation for what has been happening to them, they are eventually left with no choice but to accept that whatever is causing their problems, is not of this world. Once they begin to accept what is happening to them is supernatural, only then can they even hope to stand a chance of stopping it.

The movies main characters are the four family members, Lacy, Daniel, Jesse, and Sammy Barrett. The mother, Lacy, sells homes and for the first part of the film, is the sole provider for the family. The father Daniel is unemployed at the beginning of the film and is searching for work. He is hesitant to believe in Lacy’s explanation as to what is happening to them at first but eventually is convinced.  Several people in the community find him to be somewhat strange. Jesse is the older of the two sons and is somewhat awkward. His only friends for the most part are all older then him. Jesse and Sammy also are very close. Sammy is the youngest son and throughout most of the film is the most affected by whatever presence has taken interest in their family.

The quote that best exemplifies this film is, “Once they have chosen you…they will take your family.” This is told to Daniel and Lacy by a specialist of this kind of supernatural happenings. Once the family is aware of what is happening to them, they struggle to change the outcome. They must come together in an effort to save their family from the “terrifying hell” that they are about to go through together.

Both the look and feel of this movie matched up with the story well. A lot of the film is done at night and involved many shadows or silhouettes. Even once the family is face to face with what has been causing all of their problems, you still do not get a clear view of what it is. The feel of the movie is that of desperation and suspense, which also fits well with the story.

"Dark Skies" kept me interested. It offered some jumps and thrills and even some twists.

"Dark Skies" is a worth seeing for those who enjoy a popcorn thriller.  I give "Dark Skies" a B, so perhaps it's best to wait until it's available for download or on DVD.