Skinamarink is a 2022 Canadian experimental horror film written and directed by Kyle Edward Ball in his feature directorial debut. The film was made on a $15,000 budget and after an initial limited theater release it quickly surpassed $1 million in earnings, allowing for a wide theatrical release.

In 1995, four-year-old Kevin injures himself in what his six-year-old sister Kaylee says is a sleepwalking incident. Sometime later, the two wake up in the middle of the night to find that their father has seemingly disappeared and that the windows, doors, and other objects in their house are gradually vanishing as well.

The cast includes Jaime Hill, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul, and Lucas Paul.

Skinamarink made its debut in theaters on January 13th and will be available to stream on Shudder on February 2nd, courtesy of IFC Midnight.

THE GOOD

When I started hearing rumblings about this Skinamarink horror movie, I’ll admit I was intrigued. I looked for the trailer and my first thought was that this will likely be a very limited release that I will be forced to watch VOD or when it hits a streaming service. To my surprise, it actually arrived at a few of my local theaters prior to its release on the Shudder streaming service in February, so I was pumped! I’m not ashamed to admit that I really didn’t know what the term ‘experimental horror’ actually meant, which forced me to do a bit of research. In a nutshell, the idea behind this subgenre is to unnerve viewers with a focus on atmosphere and visuals, usually with a seemingly straightforward plot. Most have heard the term elevated horror when talking about films like It Follows or The Babadook, but I’d say that experimental is another layer entirely mainly because it’s even less mainstream. So I made my way over to the theater for Skinamarink the first chance I got, but was it worth my time, or was the anticipation all for nothing? Keep reading to find out!

Okay, so as I write this review I’m still trying to make sense of what I just watched. But as far as going right out and saying was it worth my time, I’d say definitely. Skinamarink was a very, very unique experience and more than anything else I appreciated the creativity. It never really feels like a low-budget film because of the overall style, which reminded me of watching an old crappy VHS tape on an even crappier TV. Now I understand that sounds about as enticing as an uppercut to the eyeball, but hear me out. The film is very grainy for I’d say about 90% of the time, and the majority of the scenes are very dark without any lights on. Every now and then you will see a bit of light and the picture will seem clearer, but these moments are very brief and before you know it you are right back in grainy image quality. For me, the commitment to this specific look added to the overall impact of the film and its ability to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, but it does require patience.

Now Skinamarkink is about as unnerving as you can get when it comes to horror movies for several reasons. I’m talking about a variety of unique shots where you might be staring at a door or a bare wall, eyes just darting from one side of the screen to the other waiting for something to happen. Oftentimes nothing happens, but needless to say, that is not always the case. This brings me to my next focus as it relates to the scare factor of the film, the jump scares. I’m usually not super vulnerable to traditional jump scares, but I no joke peed a little 3 or 4 times during this movie. The style of the film as far as the lack of music or dialogue sets up for a very hard-hitting element of surprise So yeah, consider that a warning.

Skinamarink often feels like a mix between Poltergeist and Paranormal Activity, and by the end, you get the vibe that something evil may be behind all of the weird shit going on in this house. I won’t give anything away but the elements that reminded me of Paranormal Activity really stood out for me personally, and I’m more so referring to the first film. Plus even though the story is as simple as it can get and the character development is nonexistent, you still feel for these kids and their situation even though you aren’t quite sure what is going on. I’m pretty sure we can all think back to times when we were kids and woke up in the middle of the night terrified with our imaginations running wild.

I remember several nights I’d wake up worried that something was going to happen to my parents even though they were in bed, and I wanted nothing more than for morning time to come. Bottom line, it can be terrifying to be a kid and Skinamarink embodies that feeling. A sense of helplessness and confusion only a child can explain. I also really liked how they took the things that children find comfort in, toys and cartoons for example, and made them part of this seemingly never-ending nightmare. After seeing the film and researching a few theories behind the premise, I am now even more intrigued and need to watch it again to try and piece together this puzzle.

So much of Skinamarink feels like an optical illusion, almost like it is purposefully messing with your eyes, because well, it is. I won’t go too in-depth talking about this aspect of the film because it is without a doubt a big part of the experience and I don’t want to spoil anything but trust me when I say you will be questioning whether or not it is time to finally schedule that visit with the eye doctor that you have been pushing off for years. But seriously, this part of the film was awesome in my opinion, and I personally can’t wait for Andrew to see it so we can discuss our thoughts. Assuming he can get through it, because well, horror doesn’t really agree with him. The camera work plays into the unique identity of the film as you never really see any of the characters or environments at eye level, instead either having a view angled towards the ceiling or sort of a view from the floor. It takes some getting used to for sure but seems to help build up the idea of being disoriented. As far as the acting in the film is concerned, I don’t know how I would even begin to evaluate it. You’ll get what I mean once you see the movie.

THE BAD

I know I’ve said this before, but perhaps not as emphatically as I’ll say here. Skinamarink is not for everyone. This film is unique in pretty much every way, and whether or not you will enjoy or appreciate it fully depends on you accepting its overall approach. The film lives and dies through its creativity and willingness to be different, and I commend that. Did I have a wtf is happening look on my face during 85% of the movie? Damn right I did, but that doesn’t make it a bad movie. Case in point, just because you don’t like a movie, does not make it bad.

With that being said, I’m not at all surprised by the high critic score and relatively low user score for Skinamarink because of its unorthodox nature. You absolutely have to go in expecting a very strange and unnerving experience, and just let things progress from there. I honestly did my best to leave all of my expectations at the door so I could just take it all in. If you are hoping for a normal horror film with an interesting story you’ll be disappointed because Skinamarink does not care about your preconceived notions about horror films.

THE VERDICT

A dare-to-be-different experimental horror film with Poltergeist and Paranormal Activity vibes that will undoubtedly captivate some viewers while sending others for a refund, Skinamarink is a unique experience that is as creative as it is terrifying. I honestly found myself thinking how do you even begin to edit a film like this?! It is just so out there and basically impossible to piece together, for better or for worse. I would love to sit down with the crew to find out how they decided on the final edits. I just have so many questions. Love it or hate it, Skinamarink is a film you won’t soon forget, and I feel like I need to see it again so that I can start unraveling this cinematic mystery.

As I mentioned in the introduction the film will debut on Shudder in a few weeks, but if you want the full experience I suggest seeing it in theaters. If you decide to wait and stream at home instead, be sure to eliminate all distractions and turn off the lights to get the full experience.