SKINAMARINK

(director/writer: Kyle Edward Ball; cinematographer: Jamie McRae; editor: Kyle Edward Ball; cast: Lucas Paul (Kevin), Dali Rose Tetreaul (Kaylee), Ross Paul (Dad), Jaime Hill (Mom); Runtime:  99; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Kyle Edward Ball; IFC MIdnight; 2022)

“A slow-moving and creepy film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The Canadian first-time feature film director Kyle Edward Ball helms and writes this visually unique avant- garde horror pic about two children in danger when dad (Ross Paul) and mom (Jaime Hill) mysteriously vanish at night leaving them alone in a shape-shifting house with doors and windows missing, and the lights not working. The experimental pic was made for $15,000.

The children are the 4-year-old Kevin (Lucas Paul) and his 6-year-old sister, Kaylee (Dali Rose Tetreault), who wake up at night alone and are left to their own ways to survive as they creep around the dark house.There’s shots of their parents around them, but we see only their legs.

It’s a slow-moving and creepy film, one that’s impenetrable like dreams or nightmares often are. The horror pic is set in 1995 before high tech took hold through the internet. It’s seemingly without a plot and has too much of nothing happening to make it an enjoyable watch. I would bet the filmmaker was influenced by Eraserhead also (an experimental metaphysical film I, however, enjoyed).

It seems as if we’re in a child’s dark and fearful dream world, trying to come to terms with the inexplicable and the possibility of them facing some kind of occult evil. Besides being unsure of what it’s about, I found it mostly a bore.

REVIEWED ON 1/23/2023  GRADE: C+