It’s easy to get distracted by bright, glowing lights, especially when they mysteriously stretch for miles into the sky. In new sci-fi thriller Skyline, these eerie blue lights capture the attention of millions of foolhardy LA residents like moths to a flame. But as Eric Balfour and his friends learn, it’s often a better idea to run away from the light. In cinemas on November 12th and directed by the Strause brothers, Skyline is the latest in a series of nightmarish “honey trap” films that remind us that first encounters are not always friendly. After a late night party, a group of friends are awakened in the dead of the night by an eerie light beaming through the window. Like moths to a flame, the light source draws people outside before they suddenly vanish into thin air. The friends soon discover an otherworldly alien force is swallowing the entire human population off the face of the earth. How long will they be able to withstand the methodical and relentless onslaught as the number of casualties escalates? And more importantly who or what are these extraterrestrials? The eagerly anticipated sci-fi thriller Skyline is a terrifying journey into our fear of the unknown, a high-velocity, special effects bonanza.
Here’s a look back at five other films where characters ignored vital warnings and suffered the consequences:
Poltergeist (1982)
Directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist begins as an innocent and playful film about a young family and their friendly resident ghosts, along the lines of Casper. But the friendly ghosts soon turned malicious, terrorizing the family and reminding audiences to beware of the supernatural.
Independence Day (1996)
The Roland Emmerich classic featuring a young Will Smith epitomized public attitudes towards extraterrestrial life, contrasting curiosity with fear. However, the attempts by government to make contact with these “visitors” proved to be deadly. They should have listened to Jeff Goldblum. Didn’t they know aliens are not to be trusted?
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
The Guillermo del Toro masterpiece skillfully balanced the forces of good vs. evil, innocence vs. corruption, and known vs. unknown. In one particular scene the young Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, ignored the warnings of her guardian fairies and sinfully ate a single grape from the bountiful feast before her. She barely escaped with her life, though the fairies were not so lucky.
War Of The Worlds (2005)
A violent lightning storm erupts over New York City and Tom Cruise and his children are drawn outside to witness the fantastic display. But this is no unique force of nature—it’s the beginning of an alien invasion. It’s not long before Cruise and what’s left of humanity figure this out and run for their lives in this Spielberg epic.
Hostel (2005)
Three backpackers are lured to Slovakia by the promise of beautiful, tourist-hungry women in this Eli Roth thriller. However, these women aren’t just there for their sexual pleasure as the backpackers soon find out that the forbidden fruit doesn’t taste so sweet after all.