Skinamarink | a misunderstood and underrated film

This film is more of an artistic kind of horror, so if you're not into experimental stuff or anything like that, then you may not like this. Otherwise, Skinamarink is a great film that is genuinely unsettling, and I felt drawn into it, like I was right there experiencing it with the children. It has elements of analog horror and liminal spaces, and the grainy vintage film style it's shot in works well. The whispered dialogue is bone-chilling.

There is a lot to be said for the really dark scenes where not much is visible. If you focus on the grain, your eyes will trick you into thinking something is there, or that something is moving. This is the kind of horror I really like, as it leaves questions. It doesn't spoon feed you what you're supposed to be afraid of. It's what you don't see that's the scariest in all of this. And that ending... It's better left for you to see yourself.

The only complaints I have are: One, the flickering screens, which were physically painful to watch and I had to turn away, which brought me out of the film until the flickering wasn't so bright. And two, the film could have been a bit shorter, although the pacing was good despite the length. I would have loved more subtle scares, like with the scene where we see darkly glowing eyes, only to be shown that it's the toy phone. My soul literally left my body.

This film isn't appreciated enough, and I'm sad it has so many low ratings as it has so much potential. It’s a new take on quiet horror, and we need new takes on horror these days. Too many films won't take risks or experiment enough, and we get a lot of the same recycled themes over and over and over, and that's the reason, I feel, Skinamarink won't be quite as appreciated yet as it should be. People are used to the same old thing, and many aren't patient enough to understand what Skinamarink brings to the table. You have to sit back, clear your mind, and just give it a chance. Allow your mind to wander. And that's the key, let your mind do the work.

Let yourself become a child again who is alone and afraid in the dark, and be rid of any expectations to come into this fresh, and you'll have a genuinely haunting experience.

©2023 Shane Blackheart