Is Skylines Worth Watching?
Answer: Maybe not, Skylines is likely a skip if you enjoy Science Fiction movies.
It features a runtime of 113 minutes and offers a standard storyline that appeals to general audiences.
Skylines Review
Last updated: January 18, 2026
Detailed Premise & Narrative Foundations
Released in the dynamic cinematic landscape of 2020, Skylines emerges as a significant entry in the Science Fiction, Action, Thriller domain. The narrative core of the film focuses on a sophisticated exploration of When a virus threatens to turn the now earth-dwelling friendly alien hybrids against humans, Captain Rose Corley must lead a team of elite mercenaries on a mission to the alien world in order to save what's left of humanity. Unlike standard genre fare, Skylines attempts to deconstruct traditional tropes, offering a conventional take on its central themes.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Science Fiction is often anchored by its ensemble, and Skylines features a noteworthy lineup led by Lindsey Morgan . Supported by the likes of Alexander Siddig and Rhona Mitra , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of Skylines (2020) is mixed. With an audience rating of 5.5/10, it stands as a highly recommended experience for genre enthusiasts.
Skylines Plot Summary & Detailed Storyline
Quick Plot Summary: Skylines is a Science Fiction, Action, Thriller film that explores futuristic concepts and technological possibilities while examining humanity. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
The film presents its narrative with careful attention to pacing and character development. When a virus threatens to turn the now earth-dwelling friendly alien hybrids against humans, Captain Rose Corley must lead a team of elite mercenaries on a mission to the alien world in order to save what's left of humanity. The story unfolds naturally, allowing viewers to become invested in the outcome while maintaining engagement throughout.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The film establishes its world and central conflict efficiently in the opening act.
- Character Arc: Character development is present but somewhat formulaic, following familiar patterns without adding fresh perspectives to the genre.
- Climax & Resolution: The climax brings together the narrative threads, providing resolution while staying true to the established tone.
Skylines Ending Explained & Final Analysis
Ending Breakdown: Skylines attempts to tie together its various plot elements. The finale presents its approach to science fiction resolution.
The final reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the science fiction themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of Skylines reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch Skylines?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Science Fiction films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Skylines Box Office Collection
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $70.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $170.6K |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
Skylines Budget
The estimated production budget for Skylines is $70.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
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Full Cast & Crew of Skylines
- Lindsey Morgan – Rose Corley
- Alexander Siddig – General Radford
- Rhona Mitra – Dr. Mal
- Daniel Bernhardt – Owens
- Yayan Ruhian – Huana
Top Highlights
Lindsey MorganRose Corley
Alexander SiddigGeneral Radford
Rhona MitraDr. Mal
Daniel BernhardtOwens
Yayan RuhianHuana
James CosmoGrant
Jonathan HowardLeon
Ieva AndrejevaitėAlexi
Samantha JeanElaine
Giedrė MockeliūnaitėIzzy
Where to Watch Skylines Online?
Streaming Hub📺 Stream on
NetflixParents Guide & Age Rating
Skylines is rated R. Parents should be aware that it contains violence, action sequences, mature themes. It is intended for mature audiences only.
Final Verdict
Analyzing the audience sentiment, IMDb rating of 5.5/10, and global collection metrics, Skylines stands as a challenging project for the creators. It remains an essential piece of the 2020 cinematic year.
Official Trailer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skylines movie hit or flop?
Skylines has received mixed reviews with a 5.5/10 rating, making it a moderate success with the audience.
Is Skylines worth watching?
Skylines is a mixed bag. It might be worth watching if you're a fan of Science Fiction, Action, Thriller movies, but read reviews first.
Where can I watch Skylines online?
Skylines is currently available for streaming on Netflix. You can also check for it on platforms like Netflix depending on your region.
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Critic Reviews for Skylines
Not a good watch, won't watch again, and can't recommend. I was so excited to see Lindsey Morgan (Raven, "The 100") in a thing, and a cool looking alien dystopian thing at that. They almost immediate thrashed my dreams. Apparently there is an entirely "better" movie that we skipped to get to this one, and even that one was pretty odd. Ripping brains out of human heads to use as bio PCs for alien androids is just odd. It's not good, but it's not really that bad, just weird. The movie we do get is more of a alien fantasy story as opposed to the typical science fiction story with psychic/super powers, unnecessary and awkward aliens that only add subtitles. It sort of becomes "The Matrix" after a bit, but just a lot stranger feeling.
Maybe you have to be a bit more of a science fiction fan than most to like this movie but, personally, I do not really understand why its ratings seems to be so poor? Sure it is not great but I rather enjoyed it. The movie takes place a few years after the second movie, Beyond Skyline, in the franchise. A bit sad that they chose to have a rather apocalyptic setting where humanity really didn’t seem to have benefited from their new “allies” nor from the technology they actually acquired in the previous movie. Unfortunately the writers also decided to go with a really standard Hollywood villain in the psychopathic, out of control, kill everything General Radford. Hollywood’s choices of bad guys are unfortunately rather limited in these agenda driven days. If we overlook the poor bad guy and the poor plot that resulted from that choice (not sure which came first, the silly plot or the poor bad guy though) then what remains is really a very decent action movie with a fair amount of cool special effects. There’s a fair amount of action. Both martial arts ones and the more trigger happy variety. The space scenes are also not bad at all and the monsters, well of course the old “baddies” are back and they added a few more varieties. On the whole, I quite enjoyed the movie. Sure, it doesn’t really put too much load on the viewers’ brains but still, it is a quite decent movie. The one thing that annoyed me though, apart from the dumbass General, was Rose’s powers always shorting out at critical moments, even after she had supposedly overcome the interference of the “queen”.
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