They're here and they want us! You don't get much story wise from this but the acting is reasonable and cinematography is sound, could've done without the extra scene explaning all at the end, I'm not that stupid

It was one of the long due film, despite releasing just 4 years ago. Those who saw it said me not to miss it. But they also warned me it was a common horror theme with a slight change in the storyline. Since horror is the least average rated genre in my collection, I was not expecting it to be a masterpiece. That could be another reason why I liked it. Yeah, the same old blueprint horror flick, even though it was not as bad as what some people are saying. Except the opening quote reveals most of the film's twist. And the twist at the end was not actually a twist if a person knew it before.A small family struggling with finances, lately witnessing some strange events in the house. But once it takes a serious turn, now they must find a solution for it, or else the unity might fall apart. After getting some idea of everything happening, they meet an expert and gain some important inputs. Now their fightback begins, the challenge they are about to face going to decide the future of the family. Their plan and its execution, the remaining film is to tell us what happens to them.The JK Simmon's role was one of the most overused roles is horror films. I did not like that, but I liked his appearance. It is also an open end if this film gets a sequel. Like usual when a family struggling, people around them going blind were a cliché. Yeah, I know horror films can't get out of such thing. It's very rare to see a film out of these platforms. Yet it was an okay film, if you prefer a decent entertainment over an experimental film, which is not guaranteed entertainment. But usually it is an enjoyable flick by most of the people. Despite familiarity, one would have a nice time with it.7/10

I freakin' love a good alien encounter movie and this one delivered. It was produced by Jason Blum, who was also behind Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and many others, and I think it does a good job at keeping up consistent pacing (I was never bored throughout the whole movie) and delivering good scares and creepy moments without ever getting too cheesy."Two possibilities exist… Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." – Arthur C. ClarkeIt is very much the classic story of a family trying to live the American dream — but struggling — who are consumed with a horrifying experience. I really loved each of their personalities — maybe the dad, played by Josh Hamilton, least of all, but mostly because he embodied a bit too much of a combination of "tough dad" (going to beat up the older son's friend) and "disbeliever" (thinking his wife is downright crazy for suggesting the weird encounters may be alien in nature). But I thought Lacy, played by Keri Russell, was fantastic (she was apparently the first and only choice for the lead character, understandably), and I really loved the sibling relationship between the brothers (played by Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett).There were two, either intentional or accidental, references to Poltergeist, which I appreciated, even though we've got ghosts vs aliens, but still… two unwelcome, unexpected guests. There was a TV static scene that reminded me very much of the "Star-Spangled Banner" static scene from Poltergeist (when Carol Anne first says "they're here"), as well as the very first odd finding of the kitchen items being stacked up (reminiscent of a similar scene in Poltergeist when the mom turns around to find the chairs all stacked oddly on the table and the drawers pulled out, cabinets open, etc). Again, maybe not intentional, but definitely reminded me immediately.Ultimately, pretty much any movie where a little kid is seeing/understanding what's going on before the adults is going to freak me out. I can't imagine being a parent and hearing some of those creepy things from your kid, especially considering how likely it seems that some children can see and communicate with ghosts, spirits, and other paranormal entities. After Sam initially told Lacy about the "Sand Man" and told her "he did it himself before he came to my room"… SHUDDER.Really, this movie impressed me with the sheer amount of chills and jump scares it delivered. The first time the intruder alarm goes off and Daniel gets a call from the security company and they tell him ALL of the entry points were breached at the same time… NOPE. The photos going missing from their frames, the birds all crashing into the house, Lacy's breakdown at the house showing, Daniel's breakdown in the backyard… all creepy as hell. And when Lacy goes into Sam's room and sees the Gray standing over him… I jumped out of my freaking skin. My husband was asleep next to me and I'm surprised he didn't hear me yell "NO THANK YOU".You just start to feel the amount of helplessness they must be experiencing — between the strange encounters escalating, knowing they aren't in control of their own bodies, having CPS alerted to their "bad parenting", disapproving and judging neighbors, etc — when they visit with Edwin Pollard (played by J.K. Simmons), an expert on The Grays, who essentially tells them they're screwed, one of them is about to be taken, and they need to fight like hell to stop it."People think of aliens as these beings invading our planet in some great cataclysm, destroying monuments, stealing our natural resources. But it's not like that at all. The invasion already happened."They did lose me a bit at this point. I mean, these aliens are clearly capable of doing things beyond our comprehension — they can enter your home without setting off the alarm, they can control your mind, they are using you as lab rats to observe from a great distance — what makes you think a boarded up window and a shotgun is going to stop them? But I did like the "twist" at the ending (though I could have told you it'd be Jesse as soon as he had his experience in the woods), and the last scene — with Jesse trying to communicate with Sam via Walkie Talkie — gave me SERIOUS chills. Super well done movie!

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.