PLOT: Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished.
REVIEW: Skinamarink absolutely took the internet by storm this past year. From the Short Film posted on Reddit all the way to the premiere at Fantasia Fest, go anywhere online and you’re met with this film. So, to say that the anticipation was off the charts would be a bit of an understatement. Every year some movie comes along that gets praised for its scares but ultimately disappoints. As a naturally pessimistic person, I expected this to fall into that category. Thankfully though, I was absolutely blown away.
Skinamarink is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. There have been comparisons made to David Lynch films of the past but, honestly, I don’t think that’s fair. I don’t think there’s any proper comparison for Kyle Edward Ball’s unique paranormal tale. From its cinematography to its pacing all the way to its characters, this film does things its own way, unapologetically. And it’s that identity that has caused so many to latch onto it strongly. But with any kind of arthouse film, will come a certain level of polarity.
The pacing is sure to be the most divisive as Skinamarink will truly test your patience. I would consider myself a pretty impatient person, especially with long, static shots. Yet I was transfixed during the entire runtime because I never quite knew what would happen next. The constant grain and darkness keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. Was that a shadow? Did I just see something? Is that a face in the darkness? It’s really the epitome of “your imagination will come up with something far scarier than whatever we could show you.”
I’m still not 100% sure what transpired in Skinamarink. And I think that’s the point. They provide you with just enough details to form the story. But there’s no handholding in any way, shape or form. Two kids are looking for their father who has disappeared in the middle of the night. We get some interactions with the kids’ disembodied voices and their mother is acting like she’s possessed. Even the sound of the voices is abstract and we only get glimpses. Anytime you start to feel like there’s some answer being formulated in front of you, there’s a curveball. So despite the long, static shots, the film demands your attention.
As far as performances, I really don’t even know how to properly judge that. We usually don’t even get to see the character on screen most of the time, as they’re often behind the camera. Oddly enough though, this almost provides an even more intimate experience. You feel as though you’re shoulder to shoulder with these characters. And their lack of distinguishing features, like the darkness, allows you to project anything you want onto them. Seeing as they’re kids, this makes the horror all the more omniscient.
Skinamarink is an extremely uncomfortable watch. It’s absolutely anxiety-inducing with its cinematography, its sound design, its…everything. I haven’t been so genuinely unnerved by a film since watching Hereditary. It took me weeks to shake and I’m still not sure when I’ll rewatch this gem. Because it’s 90 minutes of full-blown anxiety mixed with some of the most unnerving sound design possible. These days, hyperbolic phrases are often used to describe movies but I’ve never felt it more appropriate to call a film the most unnerving I’ve never seen. You have to experience it.
Skinamarink is IN THEATERS ON OCTOBER 13th, 2023.