Skinamarink — Skinamarink(Blu Ray)
I think it’s fair to say that Skinamarink is one of the more divisive horror films in recent memory. If you’re a horror fan, and regularly bob around online genre groups you’ll have heard of the film. And the decidedly mixed reviews it’s had- been either praised as a deeply chilling trip into a child’s nightmare. Or criticized as a pretentious art film- with little shape or sense. And after now finally seeing the film- thanks to this new Blu-Ray release on Shudder via Acorn Media. I’d say my opinion on the film sort of sits somewhere between these two polar opposition options….but there is no doubt it is a very distinctive creation.
Skinamarink is the first feature-length film written and directed by Edmonton, Alberta-born Kyle Edward Ball. His only other credits are 2020’s twenty-minute short Heck, and an Art Department credit on 2013 comedy short Donuts Build Character.
Just as the Skinamarink opens up we are told that the year is 1995. As the film unfolds we get a series of highly grainy, murky, and often pop ‘n’ glitch damage-fed shots of around a suburban house. More often than these shots are either captured low on the floor, or near the top of walls. There is really no formal score and only fleeting dialogue- which is often given the addition of subtitles, as the voices are often difficult to make out/ fully define.
The film runs at just over the one hour & forty-minute mark, and by following the very roughly drawn plot. We find out that during the film the two children in the house lose their father( to be more accurate he just disappears). Both the doors, and windows have seemingly disappear in the house too, and we find out there is some form of malevolent force/ entity doing this- which later on starts to voice itself in a sinister male voice.
Skinamarink is all about the detail in the shadows and murky darkness beyond doorways- and what you might/ might not be seeing in the grain ‘n’ glitch. From time to time the shots hover around the house's TV screen- where ancient child’s cartoon play. We also get sudden jarring sounds and sudden jolting of items- which briefly take you out of your gloomy & lightly creeped-out trance. When people do enter the shots you just see their legs- though towards the end we do get some highly unsettling still pictures of people- tying into the entity's powers to make things disappear.
Personally, I enjoy mainstream, cult and arthouse horror- having been a fan of the genre in all its different forms for the last forty or so years of my life. But Skinamarink really is a wholly distinctive experience- which I’ve not really encountered before. On the positive side, there is a feeling of sinister uneasy drifting through all of the film's frames. When the jumps come- they are often very jarring, and unsettling. And lastly, in it’s last twenty or so minutes there are some really very bone-chilling reveals.
On the less positive side of things. The film has a very floating & vague structure to it- as basically we just drift around the shadowy house with little reason/ point. The repeated use of near-the-floor or just-below-the-ceiling shots do become trying, - yes, they do create mystery/ unease, but they equally create frustration. The film's plot/ reveals are all done in a very low-key & deliberately vague manner- and once again this creates low-level intrigue/ mystery, but once again it’s decidedly frustrating.
So, in collusion, I’m very much still on the fence regarding Skinamarink- as I can see it really enchanting and creepy out some, but equally, I can see it both boring & frustrating other folks. And really, I drifted between these two throughout the film's runtime. There is no doubt Mr Ball has talent/ skill for creating atmosphere, and a feeling of primal horror, and I’ll certainly be interested to see what he does next…I’d just say approach Skinamarink with an open mind, and who knows it may fully & totally click with you.
On the extras side, we get a commentary track from director/ writer/ editor Kyle Edward Ball, and director of photography Jamie McRea. They begin by talking about the credits- mentioning the relevance of some of the names. They discuss that they used a total of ten cartoons from the ’30s and ’40s. We find out the film was shot in the director's childhood home- and he points out where doors lead to, and background detail from his family's possessions/ photos. We find most of the film's audio was recorded in post-production. We get talk about how long each actor was on see, and that the film was shot in seven days, with normal working hrs being between 10 and 4. They discuss the film's press- both positive & negative. We find out the entity was voiced by the director- with his voice put through both female & male effects filters. And more. The track is a little sporadic, but it’s an interesting enough/ chatty track- which is ok, and worth a play- even if you're indifferent about the film.
In finishing I certainly say if you have an interest in more cryptic & arty horror films high with a sense of unease & dread- give Skinamarink a go, and it’s well worth picking up on Blu-ray for the commentary track. I wanted to give this a two and a half mark- but as we only do whole marks here- I’ll give it a three.