Skinamarink Review from IFC Midnight and Shudder!

Where do I start with this one and what do I write that hasn’t been written before? Canadian director Kyle Edward Ball has found success with Skinamarink by turning a $15,000 movie into a film grossing over a million dollars. Skinamarink has achieved success, admiration, and dislike from the viewing public. 

Personally, I heard about Skinamarink from executive editor and friend Chris from Severed Cinema. The movie seemed to be a new horror trend much like films such as The Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity. The use of poor lighting, eerie sound, and focusing on the fear based around what you can’t see. Using a minimalist approach here by having the fear of the unknown or the classic premise of a fear of the dark. 

What would a young impressionable child’s worst fear be? That obviously comes down to the individual but the thought of waking up in the middle of the night in darkness and your father has disappeared is a good start of a frightening premise for any child. Personally, my kids get frightened when the power goes out. It’s that fear of helplessness, darkness, the inability to have control in a situation. 

Skinamarink is basically the name for a children’s nursery rhyme. Sometimes going by other spelling such as Skiddamarink, Skinnymarink, or Skiddymerink etcetera. It was said to have been introduced in an early 20th century Broadway show. Director Kyle Edward Ball is Canadian as I am so I’m pretty sure (but not certain) he lifted the name from ‘80s Canadian children entertainers Sharon, Lois, and Bram’s song Skinnamarink. 

Skinamarink focusses on two young kids, brother and sister, Kevin and Kaylee, who wake up one night in their home to discover their father is gone. It also seems like the windows, doors, and toilet have vanished. The kids wander the house, hear a bizarre voice telling them to do things, play with Legos, watch television etcetera. It’s all filmed in grainy film style darkness, preying on people’s fear of the dark and looking into the dark seeing things that are not actually there. 

I gotta say, Skinamarink was hard to sit through. The long run time, bizarre filming style where the viewer sees no characters just constant images of surroundings. The camera is intentionally focussed on walls, darkness, Legos, a television with no clear view of what is transpiring. This is obviously intentional and kudos to the director being innovative and artistic but with the 100-minute run time it’s a challenge to endure.

It’s cool there was a unique vision and cooler still it has been successful but as a grown man who has watched and reviewed hundreds of movies I gotta ask seriously if this is the state of modern horror? How many aspiring directors will now be filming inanimate objects in a retro dirty grain filter in a dark room dreaming of success. Skinamarink 2 filmed in a one-bedroom apartment, or Skinamarink 3 filmed in a hotel room. The possibilities are unfortunately endless.

Don’t get me wrong, I love low budget horror and have been promoting it for years. If Skinamarink inspires a young aspiring filmmaker to make a film independently I’m all for it. I love atmospheric movies, but I need a story, effects, and most importantly, characters. I can do art films, but they aren’t generally my cup of tea. I just need something to engage me in some sense of the word.

Skinamarink will no doubt keep racking up the numbers and it has people/critics talking/writing like myself so it’s doing well and good for them. The movie fortunately brings forth a lot of discussion which is something I always enjoy and am open to. Not just to say, “it sucks” or the pretentious argument “It’s art man, gotta respect that.” Director Kyle Edward Ball did a short film in 2020 titled Heck which caught my eye. I’ve also heard it’s similar in content to Skinamarink yet conveys more of a sense of terror. I’d definitely be interested in checking it out. 

For me Skinamarink didn’t have much of a payoff in terms of interest, a payoff ending, or much of any engagement. It’s a long enduring ride that took multiple watches to get through. It wasn’t my thing and I’m fine with that. I don’t need someone to tell me I’m wrong. I’m ok with that and watching it again won’t change it. You may watch it and really get into it and if you do more power to you. I wish the film and filmmakers much success.

AKA: スキナマリンク, Skinamarink: El Despertar Del Mal, Скинамаринк,
스키나마링크, Shitamarink

Directed by Kyle Edward Ball
Written by: Kyle Edward Ball
Produced by: Dylan Pearce
Cinematography by: Jamie McRae
Editing by: Kyle Edward Ball
Cast: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul, Jaime Hill
Year: 2022
Country: Canada
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 40min

Studio: Mutiny Pictures, ERO Picture Company
Distributor: Bayview Entertainment, IFC Midnight, Shudder