Director: Scott Stewart
Starring: Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, J.K. Simmons, Dakota Goyo, Kadan Rockett
Running Time: 94 minutes
Certificate: 15
Coming from the producers of INSIDIOUS and SINISTER you’d be forgiven for expecting something a little odd from DARK SKIES, but whilst this may not be the case there is still plenty to enjoy. Directed by Scott Stewart, of the unfairly maligned LEGION and PRIEST, DARK SKIES focuses on the Barrett family – mother Lacy (Russell), father Daniel (Hamilton), and their sons Jesse (Goyo) and Sam (Rockett) – who begin to experience odd goings on in their family home.
As is the case with the over-saturated horror genre DARK SKIES doesn’t have a particularly original premise but its execution is pleasing on many levels. First off director/writer Stewart does a tremendous job crafting tension throughout thanks to a taut script and scatty, claustrophobic camera positioning. Aiding the nicely constructed script are some very good performances headed by the ever dependable Keri Russell (THE AMERICAN’S), and a suitably frustrating Dakota Goyo as the teenage renegade.
Whilst direction, scripting and performances are solid the sparsity of originality, afore mentioned, mean proceedings follow the usual narrative path you’ve seen a hundred times. Joseph Bishara’s soundtrack also leaves plenty to be desired with it’s plundering boisterousness ruining moments of tension before they’ve been able to play out. There is also a smattering of shoehorned characters that add nothing to the film and only succeed in bloating the running time.
DARK SKIES falls into the same category as SINISTER as an average, but well made horror film without reaching the heights of INSIDIOUS, or instilling any real scares. But if all you’d like is a film to watch with friends on a Friday night you could do a lot worse, and there is a very pleasant cameo from J.K. Simmons.
DARK SKIES is released on Blu-ray and DVD 5th August
