Night Skies

In the opening sequence, Senator John McCain is interviewed by a reporter who asks about recent alleged UFO sightings across Arizona. McCain acknowledges the sightings but says he has no explanation for the 'Phoenix Lights.' The exchange sets up the film's extraterrestrial mystery against a real-world political backdrop.

During the opening credits, a bleeding, panicked woman runs through the woods toward a cabin. She cannot open the door and bangs on it as unsettling sounds echo from the darkness. The scene cuts to black before we learn what happens next.

Five friends—Joe, Lily, Molly, June, and Matt—are traveling in an RV toward Las Vegas. Matt is driving and has gotten them off course, prompting lighthearted quips about taking back roads. A strange light then appears in the night sky.

A second light appears in the sky, followed by a row of seven lights that dominates the night. Molly wakes from a nightmare of a shadowy figure, which reappears when she opens the door in real life. The group stares intently at the lights, some captivated, others uneasy.

Matt's fixation on the lights causes a near collision with a truck, sending the RV into a pole crash. Joe suffers a serious wound when a knife is lodged in his shoulder, and the truck driver Richard steps in to help. Richard disinfects the wound, offers medical aid, and quietly signals that danger is present.

Richard discusses his Gulf War POW experience, PTSD, and alcoholism, establishing him as a damaged but capable ally. He and Matt debate the RV's damage while the group weighs their dwindling options for help. An eerie sense of being watched lingers as strange noises drift from the woods.

While Matt searches the woods for Lily, an unseen alien approaches and abducts him, leaving the others anxious and uncertain. Richard remains on edge, while the group senses they are no longer alone. The atmosphere grows increasingly hostile as the night wears on.

Molly and Lily hear what sounds like Matt begging for help over the RV radio, prompting Lily to investigate. Richard orders them to stay inside and not follow any signals. The lights flicker ominously as the group grapples with what is real and what is illusion.

The RV's lights go completely out, and Molly is suddenly beamed into the sky by a green light. Richard and Lily rush to secure the vehicle, but the night proves too dangerous as the aliens close in. The sense of impending capture hangs over every movement.

June informs Lily that Joe has died from his bleeding wound, and he is abducted through a window in a grim bewitching moment. The aliens infiltrate the RV, entering through the roof and walls as Richard fights to hold them off. The group realizes the danger is far from over.

Lily runs toward the cabin while Richard follows, barricading the door as aliens breach the defenses. Both are quickly abducted, and the pair disappears into the night. The RV and truck are left empty and vulnerable, their occupants scattered.

Richard awakens aboard an alien ship and hears Lily screaming while the aliens conduct experiments on her. Lily reveals that they have taken her baby, and Richard, torn between rescue and self-preservation, hesitates before taking drastic action. The environment is cold, clinical, and terrifyingly unfamiliar.

The aliens restrain Richard and continue their experiments, leaving Lily's fate uncertain. A police officer later finds Richard in a deserted area far from the original crash site, his memories of the night fragmented and unreliable. Despite his testimony, no trace of the vehicles or other victims is ever found.

The text epilogue states that Richard was found 100 miles from the site and underwent rehabilitation, but no concrete evidence of the night remains. It concludes by noting that the lights continue to appear over Phoenix, Arizona to this day, leaving the truth forever elusive. The film ends on a haunting note of unresolved mystery.