Dark Skies

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Dark Skies

PG-13

2013

1h 37m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

93 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Lacy (Keri Russell) and Daniel Barrett (Josh Hamilton) share a peaceful life in the suburbs with their sons, Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and Sam (Kadan Rockett). However, that peace soon shatters with a series of disturbing events that escalate. When it becomes clear that their family is being targeted by an unimaginably terrifying, deadly -- and possibly alien -- threat, Daniel and Lacy draw on their courage and determination to protect their family and identify what is after them.

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Critics Consensus

Dark Skies writer director Scott Stewart has a solid cast, an interesting premise, and some admirable ambitions, but he can't figure out what to do with any of them, and the result is a dull, muddled effort that will bore all but the most devoted horror buffs.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Dec 4, 2018

3/5

Alas, several decades of Majestic 12 conspiracy theories work to undermine the novelty and Stewart's best efforts. Fun, nonetheless.

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Drew Taylor

IndieWire

Dec 4, 2018

C

Alien abductions are a truly terrifying idea, and building an alien abduction movie on the template of "Poltergeist" is a great idea. But "Poltergeist" had one thing "Dark Skies" is sorely in need of: follow-through.

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Dec 4, 2018

3/5

Dark Skies is utterly generic, down to a meaningless title lifted from the 1996 X-Files knock-off TV series.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 20, 2023

2/5

Apart from a handful of visually striking sequences causing a visceral reaction, there's too little story to invest in.

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Victor Stiff

Victor Stiff Reviews

Nov 2, 2021

While it's slow and features thinly-sketched characters, it's still capable of getting under your skin to unnerve you.

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Damond Fudge

KCCI (Des Moines, IA)

Jun 29, 2020

[The movie] is just an OK idea with just an OK execution. It's not very frightening or original.

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B P

@Bradster69 5 days ago

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Gabriel S

@Sanarel Aug 29, 2026

Dark Skies delivers an interesting sci-fi horror story of a family being tormeted by seemingly eerie entitties, while battling their own doubts and questions. Not a Carpenter classic, no, but definitely enjoyable. The storyline flows good and, even after I had to pause it because of life, later I was eager to see what was going to be the finale and, well, it delivered. In the genre, a good entry.

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Wendel L

@BRZRKR Aug 16, 2026

Direção: Bom Atuação: Ok Roteiro: Bom Caracterização: Ok Soundtrack: Ok

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Nathan J

@NathanDirector Jul 6, 2026

Rating: 6.2/10 ⭐️ Threw this on for the 4th of July because an alien horror flick with a holiday climax sounded fun. Honestly really liked how this grounds classic haunted house vibes with a tense extraterrestrial threat. What Worked: • Russell and Hamilton give great, emotional performances that make you care. • The build-up of kitchen anomalies honestly kept me completely on edge early on. • J.K. Simmons completely pops, adding chilling gravity to the alien lore. The Friction: • The family drama bits in the middle part really dragged for me. • Some subplots with neighbors and doctors honestly felt a bit muddled. Verdict: Watch for a solid alien thriller with great suspense. Skip if you want a fast action war.

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The W

@TheWagners Jul 4, 2026

Stupid movie full of jump scares, and for some reason the aliens are supernatural. Tons of jump scares and nonsense.

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Michael J

@RT29377897 Mar 25, 2026

Es una estupenda película,infravalorada en su época, inquietante y aterradora

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Scott Stewart

Director

Keri Russell

Lacy Barrett

Josh Hamilton

Daniel Barrett

Dakota Goyo

Jesse Barrett

Kadan Rockett

Sam Barrett

J.K. Simmons

Edwin Pollard

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Synopsis

Lacy (Keri Russell) and Daniel Barrett (Josh Hamilton) share a peaceful life in the suburbs with their sons, Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and Sam (Kadan Rockett). However, that peace soon shatters with a series of disturbing events that escalate. When it becomes clear that their family is being targeted by an unimaginably terrifying, deadly -- and possibly alien -- threat, Daniel and Lacy draw on their courage and determination to protect their family and identify what is after them.

Director: Scott Stewart
Producer: Jason Blum
Screenwriter: Scott Stewart
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Alliance Films, Blumhouse, Automatik Entertainment, Robotproof
Rating: PG-13 (Drug Content|All Involving Teens|Violence|Language|Sexual Material|Terror Throughout)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 22, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 21, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.4M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital

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