Early in 2023 we already have a breakout horror hit with Kyle Edward Ball’s ‘Skinamarink‘, which turned heads by generating $2.1 million at the box office despite only having a budget of $15,000 and is now available on Shudder via IFC Films and Bayview Entertainment.
Touted as an experimental supernatural horror film that has been, for the most part, widely hailed as terrifying and unnerving, the films goes to show just how creative and imaginative horror content creators can be, even when operating on a limited budget.
According to the official synopsis: “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.” The film stars Jaime Hill, Dali Rose Tetreault, Lucas Paul, and Ross Paul.
While many have celebrated the film, and while Ball should be praised for his daring creative approach and the success he organically generated, the film goes far too down the road of forcing audience interpretation.
While I can appreciate the atmospheric horror, the impact of disorientation, the play on audio horror and being protective of visuals, this film did little to keep my attention and hold my interest for it’s exhausting 1 hour and 40 minute runtime.
The movie demands far too much patience and under-delivers on rewarding it, and as the movie slowly drags along it becomes evident that it tries way too hard to be what it intends to be, instead of letting it cook naturally.
If the movie was cut to 30 minutes, perhaps I would feel differently. But there is no clear understanding of the plot, the purpose, or even a story. It’s simply an unorganized mess of shots, clips, sounds, and darkness.
Again, I praise Ball for this – the artistic approach, the atmosphere, the “nuts and bolts” of Skinamarink, but the film is flat out boring.
The ending is open to interpretation, and while I can respect it, the entire film has left many viewers completely baffled about what they just watched, and not in a good way.
Spoiler Warning: I have come up with two theories about what the film is, considering so many people are sharing their thoughts on the Skinamarink ending, and they are –
- When Kevin falls down the stairs and hits his head at the beginning of the movie he is unconscious and/or in a coma and this is a dreamlike state that emboldens his fears and child-like perceptions.
- This is a perspective of children who are dealing with a “monster” their Dad, who may have brutally killed their mother following a messy divorce, and may have physically abused the children. There are many points to this – the kids refusal to talk about their mother. A brutal murder that momentarily plays on a loop. Kaylee’s mouth and eyes removed for asking for her parents. The children on an island by themselves.
Regardless of if you agree with my theories, or not, it doesn’t matter because the movie makes everyone right – this is what lack of storytelling does. However, Skinamarink seems to only be a movie filled with creepy audio, tones, and atmosphere while leaving any evidence of a story in the dark, no pun intended.
I will certainly check out future works of Ball, despite this review, because I see the talent – I just found this movie to be completely unwatchable.
