Dark Skies

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Dark Skies

PG-13

2013

1h 37m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Popcornmeter

42%

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93 Reviews

49%

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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

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

Rated: 3/5

Dec 4, 2018

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Drew Taylor

IndieWire

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.

Rated: C

Dec 4, 2018

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

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

Rated: 3/5

Dec 4, 2018

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

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

Rated: 2/5

Sep 20, 2023

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Victor Stiff

Victor Stiff Reviews

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

Nov 2, 2021

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Damond Fudge

KCCI (Des Moines, IA)

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

Jun 29, 2020

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Ryan S

Absolutely worth your time. Have watched thousands of horror movies and this one gets under my skin even on repeat watches. Ignore the critic reviews and give it a shot!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/25

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Sameir A

Not a bad movie at all. You can find some similarities to Happening and Close encounter, but this is worth trying for horror fans.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/09/25

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Andrew C

Ok so I love scary movies and this movie is the one that truly gave me nightmares.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/30/25

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Logan L

One of the better alien abduction movies, though it feels a little bland and cliché in places. An aspect I personally liked about this movie is that it reminds the viewer sometimes stories don’t have happy endings or morals/lessons. While this can be a letdown for some, I think it works well here given what the entire movie is about.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/19/25

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C B

The producers of this movie (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, etc.) throw every supernatural/paranormal cliche at the wall like a plate of spaghetti, hoping something sticks. But sometimes less is more. Keri Russell is excellent as the beleaguered mom, as is J.K. Simmons in the type of role he was born to play and plays often.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/23/25

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Sam B

One of the more entertaining and scarier alien films I've seen in awhile.. they do a great job with the aliens... i was entertained thru the whole film

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/18/25

Full Review

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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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