It’s been more than a decade since Felicity went off the air, but Keri Russell remains associated with the wholesome, idealistic world within that show. Until now, that is: playing a mother in the supernatural thriller Dark Skies, she hopes to show a different side of herself to audiences.

That said, Russell says she doesn’t think of it as a genre movie at all. Rather, she insists that its supernatural elements are merely metaphors for much more identifiable issues.

“It’s not a scary movie to me,” Russell tells Celebuzz. “It’s a mom protecting family movie.”

In Dark Skies, Russell plays Lacy Barrett, a mom who rallies around her family after a series of unexplained phenomena begin occurring in her home.

Russell admits that she’d been offered horror films in the past, but only agreed to do this one because it possessed – so to speak – story elements that were relatable to real people.

“I had not been drawn to do one, but this script, I though it felt like Poltergeist to me,” Russell explains. “It was this real at its heart just a family story about keeping out outside forces – kind of a metaphor for that. The scary stuff is just the metaphor of that.”

Dark Skies opened Friday, February 22 in theaters nationwide. Watch Celebuzz’ exclusive interview with Russell and then let us know in the comments below – how scary was this movie to you?

On Friday, February 22nd, Dark Skies hits theaters nationwide, arriving on the heels of three horror-themed projects which did well for themselves at the box office. Although it’s scarcely been two full months since 2013 began, the genre has consistently dominated its competition: Texas Chainsaw 3D, Mama and Warm Bodies all exceeded commercial expectations, if not necessarily critical ones.

All of which is perhaps why Dark Skies sneaks into theaters without having been screened for (most) critics. Hoping to conquer the box office in a sneak attack — or possibly to avoid the critical drubbing that horror films often endure — the film arrives with few expectations, although it remains to be seen whether that benefits or harms the film’s financial prospects.

Meanwhile, those who have seen it have been decidedly mixed in their reaction. But horror is a genre with a specific sort of appeal, so take these reactions — both positive and negative — with a grain of salt.

Here’s a look at what some critics have to say, so far:

Joel D. Amos, Moviefanatic.com

“Dark Skies is one surprise of an alien invasion movie. The shock and awe slowly boils until the payoff. Writer-director Scott Stewart has painted a picture of modern suburbia that is not only terrifying, but grounded in a reality that makes it all the scarier…”

Vanessa Farquharson, The National Post

“It will appeal to those who crave sudden shocks and dark hallways and shadowy figures — and will definitely draw some conspiracy theorists to the theatre — but it hardly has any mainstream appeal. Even the scariest of visual effects can’t make up for a lack of coherent storytelling…”

Sara Stewart, The New York Post

“…Dark Skies delivers some genuinely creepy moments, albeit with many a nod to earlier (and superior) scary movies like “Poltergeist.” And coming just a week after that freaky Russian meteor crash, when better to indulge in a little alien-abduction paranoia?”

Drew Taylor, Indiewire.com

“The ultimate alien abduction movie, something that could do for peaceful nighttime slumbers what “Jaws” did for a day at the beach, has yet to be produced and Dark Skies, a new sci-fi horror thingee that grafts the alien abduction theme onto what is essentially a loose remake of “Poltergeist,” certainly attempts such a feat. And it is pretty scary. Unfortunately, all its hard work is undone by a bewilderingly goofy ending that is roughly the cinematic equivalent of an unwanted anal probe…

Michael Gingold, Fangoria.com

“If Dark Skies ultimately doesn’t explore much fresh territory for its subgenre, it’s also better than its unscreened-in-advance status might suggest. The production is slick while remaining grounded in the reality required to center the story, and Stewart and his cast get us to care about the characters even as we feel like we’ve seen the forces threatening them before. Never mind what’s happening in the skies; it’s the darkness that descends within the Barretts’ household that proves most resonant here…”

Have you seen Dark Skies? Do you agree with the critics? Tell us below!

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and it appears that lovers spent their time at home – or at least away from movie theaters – instead of celebrating their affection via the silver screen.

Meanwhile, action lovers turned out in droves to watch Bruce Willis beat the stuffing out of bad guys in A Good Day to Die Hard, and in slightly fewer numbers, comedy fans came back yet again to check out Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman in Identity Thief.

This Friday, Willis will have some competition in the action department courtesy Dwayne Johnson’s Snitch, while Keri Russell makes her first venture into horror with the shrouded-in-secrecy film Dark Skies. Click through Celebuzz’s gallery of the week’s highest-profile films, and then take a look at each of their trailers below.

Click here to launch Celebuzz Five Flicks In Five Clicks for the weekend of February 22

Dark Skies

A Good Day to Die Hard

Identity Thief

Safe Haven

Snitch

Which of these films are you most excited to see this weekend? Let us know what’s your favorite of the five in the comments section below!

This Friday, a surprisingly small batch of movies are set to hit theaters, at least after last week’s deluge of titles. And now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone, romance is no longer a priority on the silver screen.

Despite that preponderance of love-driven stories, action, well, kicked its butt, as A Good Day To Die Hard took the top spot over Safe Haven and Beautiful Creatures at the box office. But will Bruce Willis triumph again, or will a new contender knock the sequel out of its comfy first-place perch?

Opening Friday, February 22nd is the action-thriller Snitch, starring Dwayne Johnson, as well as Keri Russell‘s sci-fi-horror movie Dark Skies.

Snitch follows a desperate father who goes undercover in a Mexican drug cartel in order to save his wrongfully-accused son. Although Johnson’s movies typically receive mixed critical acclaim at best, his box office success has been decidedly more consistent. That said, early reviews of Snitch have been pretty complimentary, so maybe the new thriller will enjoy a good run during its theatrical release. With an all-star supporting cast featuring Benjamin Bratt and Susan Sarandon, Snitch seems poised for solid success.

On the other hand, Dark Skies could end up overshadowing Snitch, at least commercially speaking. A sci-fi horror film about a family that’s terrorized by an unknown entity, Keri Russell stars as its matriarch, and it follows in the footsteps of a series of enormously successful similar films, including the Jessica Chastain film Mama, which became a surprise blockbuster when it was released in January.

So which film will rise to the top this weekend — Snitch or Dark Skies? Or will moviegoers remain loyal to Willis’ enduring franchise and prove that, yes indeed, it’s incredibly difficult to kill off the Die Hard series?

Which movie looks most appealing to you? Both? Neither? Let us know in the comments section below!