selenammosquera This film was honestly amazing. I am a film-maker myself and every part of this was so well thought out and you can tell they did everything to make sure it was exactly how it was supposed to be. Amazing actors, camera work, editing, everything and most importantly amazing plot. Most alien movies are so boring and basically follow this same routine: weird things are happening, find a UFO or something else crazy, abducted, get back and people think they're crazy blah blah blah.. This was such an incredible STORY, they gave answers to questions other dumb alien movies leave you wondering, and made it amusing. I wont spoil the end but it's a must-see, i cry every single time, and its hard to make me cry. 10/10

Brandon Veracka I watched this on Netflix last night (8/16/2016) for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the film-making elements all worked together to make a truly suspenseful, scary, and engrossing story. There are some cliche's here, but they do not ruin the story or send eyes rolling and brows lowering. The story follows the familiar framework of a haunted house or an exorcism story, but it's done in a very tasteful way that doesn't feel cheesy in the least bit; definitely doesn't inspire that "seen this before" feeling to arise. In my opinion, this is mainly due to the quality of the acting on all four of the main characters' parts, and the incredibly good use of the camera (cinematography).Personally I was very afraid of aliens when I was a little kid, and I'm a big fan of horror movies now as an adult. I just loved this movie for the scares it gave me, and I'll tell you why:ONE: The pacing of the plot is just right. It's not too slow, but it's not too fast. We get a great introduction to each of the main characters (the four members of the family), and a solid idea of what's going on at all times. At no time in this film was I asking myself, "how did we get here?" or "why is this happening?", which is a big part of good storytelling. The story arch is just right; it tells us a nice scary tale in just the right amount of time without leaving big plot-holes or too many loose ends. TWO: The acting is very good. This really helps to make you feel for each character, and at times you feel you're in there with them; that's good acting (and good writing)! Not once did I think about how any particular scene or line was badly said or acted-out, so kudos for that. THREE: The centerpiece of the film--aliens--are very well-done and presented in a great fashion. The director chose not to shove them in your face, and to great effect. They're not entirely absent from the film, nor are they all over the place like they were in "Signs". The tasteful presentation works great with the story, and makes them and the concepts surrounding them in the film even scarier. FOUR: Instead of using lots of CGI and special effects, good ol' suspenseful storytelling mixed with excellent use of set design and cinematography combine to make a great horror movie.Overall, a great flick and totally entertaining! It could've been improved upon in some ways, but I don't want to hint at any spoilers. I give it a 7/10 because I'm very stingy when it comes to reviews, but it's great--not amazing--but great!The horror genre has been at an all-time low lately, and I was very happy to see a film that did a good job of scaring me and--as I see from other reviews--other folks too! Alien horror films are particularly difficult because so many people think the subject is old, silly, hokey, etc. This film isn't going to please everyone, but then again, what film does?So my final words; I really enjoyed this movie and I got some genuine scares from it. That's more than I can say for many of the horror films I've seen recently. If you're looking for a decent sci-fi scare, this is definitely worth your time.

FinalGuyHorror From the writer/director of Priest and Legion and the producer of Paranormal Activity and Insidious, Dark Skies takes the modern format of haunted house horror and puts an extra terrestrial twist on things, resulting in a film that, while still playing the same four notes, at least manages to get you tapping your foot a little.Drawing on the likes of Signs and Poltergeist, Dark Skies tells the story of the Barrett family, a typical American family struggling to cope with the realities of the recession. Husband Daniel (Josh Hamilton) is struggling to find work, leaving wife Lacey (Keri Russell) to bring home the bacon and raise their two sons Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and Sam (Kadan Rockett). But soon paying the rent becomes less of a concern when their relatively peaceful lives are violated by a series of inexplicable and disturbing events. At first the incidents are minor and seem to be the work of Sam and his active imagination. But as things begin to escalate and the health of the whole family begins to suffer, Daniel and Lacey are forced to look for explanations beyond the realms of the terrestrial.With the recent trend towards cheap jump scares and too much exposition in modern horror you could be forgiven for dismissing Dark Skies as another in a long line of mediocre Hollywood dross, but the truth is that there is a lot more to like than dislike about this film. By keeping the run time at a trim 97 minutes, the story is allowed to progress at a good pace that allows the director to create a sense of dread and tension amongst the audience without dragging things out. The family's financial predicament is something that many can relate to; creating a sense of empathy towards their plight that is missing in many other films in this genre. And by keeping the aliens as a shadowy background menace rather than forcing them into the audience's faces you never feel yourself being pulled out of the story.The performances from the cast are strong all around, with the two leads forming a good on screen chemistry. Goyo plays his role well, conveying the confusion of a young man struggling with the onset of puberty, while Rockett is alternately adorable and creepy as the youngest son and apparent focus of the visitor's malicious intentions. But the best performance comes from J.K Simmons as ufologist Edwin Pollard. Conveying an almost haunted acceptance of the invasion into his life by the Greys, Pollard's matter a fact assertion that the alien threat is real convinces the Barretts of the reality of their situation and is masterfully played by Simons.So while the scares are typically predictable (and are accompanied by the now industry standard jarring soundtrack), and the big reveal at the end is pretty much redundant given the sledgehammer subtle hints that it surmises, this is a surprisingly decent horror film that will stay with you in a way that the likes of Insidious and Sinister couldn't manage. Ignore the slightly contrived ending and sequel set up and just enjoy.

James Parrish 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!