Skinamarink (2022): NOT for Tik-Tok brains..

So from what I've heard, everyone thought Kyle Edward Ball's Skinamarink (2022) was too slow, too grainy and full of too many shots of “nothing”(as it's rated 4.7 on IMDb). I'm writing this article to strongly disagree with all of you and to tell you why everything that was “wrong” with the film actually made it a GREAT film. Not only was it a great film but it fully tapped into childhood nightmares and a very primal feeling of fear, completely immersing me in to the films world. To me, Skinamarink is less of a traditional plot driven film and more of an experience to be had (if your attention span will allow it). It's basically about two young children, Kaylee (Dali Rose Tetreault) and Kevin (Lucas Paul), who 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.

From beginning to end, Skinamarink moves at a pace that slowly creeps along. I felt like this allowed me to settle into the unique viewing experience this film is and built an immense amount of tension for scenes that haven't scared me like that since I was a little kid. As a horror film connoisseur, I've always chased the dragon of feeling scared like I did when I was a child. I remember being 5 years old, waking up in my eerily dark house and looking for my dad to comfort me back to bed. The fear of what was lurking in the shadows and fuzzy black corners of my room would cause my heart to race and my hands to get really sweaty. These fright inducing experiences felt like they would last hours even if I was only awake for a couple of minutes, just as Skinamarink may feel longer than it is. The film contains many “long and drawn-out” shots such as shadowy hallways and dark corners that personally made me feel extremely uneasy throughout the entirety of its runtime (1h40m). So, when the jump-scares or more explicitly frightening scenes came on they had QUITE the impact.

Another thing that really unsettled me during this film were the shots that were “too grainy". Specifically the frames that focused on the darkness under the bed or in a doorway. Sure that created a “low quality” look and you didn't really know what you were looking at but that's exactly what made it more discomforting. You know when you wake up in the middle of the night and you're stumbling to the bathroom in the dark, your eyes strain to adjust but your brain creates ghoulish apparitions out of the grainy blackness. I think Skinamarink brilliantly incorporates that harsh grain to recreate that exact experience. In the film there are many instances where unclear glimpses of faces and bodies appear on screen (or do they?) while the depthless dark continues to morph, this created a sense of dread that was crawling around every corner of the frame.

One of the biggest critiques of Skinamarink  is that there's too many shots of “nothing” happening and maybe at first glance this is true. I believe the films odd angles and poor resolution create a dream-like sensation while also avoiding faces and full characters in frame to deprive you of comfort or connection. I think Kyle Edward Ball made smart decisions with how the film is shown and knew exactly what kind of world he wanted to create. Throughout Skinamarink, what is mostly seen are shots of the children's legs moving around rooms, static dark corners and cartoons on an old tv. This may seem boring if you're not fully invested but while these “boring” shots are happening there's an unearthly voice talking to the children and the jarring sound of toys falling on the ground. These noises alongside not seeing much of what is going on, prompts you to conjure up horrific images of what could be waiting in the dark and I found that to be much more effective than some CGI monster.

At the end of the day if you're looking for an axe-wielding killer, grotesque creatures or an action-packed chase sequence.. you won't find it in Skinamarink. Instead, this film will ask you to recall childhood nightmares and the feeling of desperation for protection against the unknown. This film isn't for everyone but it should resonate with everyone.