Of all of the films that could have possibly blown up on TikTok, “Skinamarink” is the strangest.
Released just a month ago, this horror film was made on a shoestring budget of $15,000 and made over $2 million at the box office. Low-budget, yet high-grossing horror movies seem to come along once every decade, following the footsteps of “The Blair Witch Project” and “Paranormal Activity.” However, “Skinamarink” sets itself apart from its influences in a few key ways.
The film loosely follows the story of two kids, Kaylee and Kevin, as they wake up in the middle of the night and discover that their house isn’t as they remember it. All the doors and windows seem to have disappeared. Objects float around and attach themselves to the walls and something lurks in the darkest corners of the house.
“Skinamarink” is composed of many long shots of the poorly lit house, occasionally sprinkled with dialogue from the kids, the parents, an old cartoon playing on the TV and the thing lurking in their home. It forces you to stare into the darkness of the house for extended periods of time. The bulk of this movie consists of atmosphere building with the tone of a nightmare you may have had when you were young, not to mention that there are several jump scares.
The scares in this movie are few and far between, but when they do occur, they’re loud and abrasive. Most of the film is soaked in a quiet dread, which makes it even more surprising when loud moments occur.
Some people may find these scares to be a bit cheap, but I think they work. There are incredibly tense build-ups with some of these jump scares, so it’s not like they are completely unforeseen. In fact, my favorite scene in the movie is one long buildup to a jumpscare.
For some people, myself included, this is going to be one of the scariest movie experiences they have ever had. It perfectly captures the tone of being a child that’s scared of what could be lurking in the house at night. For some viewers, however, this may be the most boring film they have ever seen.
“Skinamarink” is pure atmospheric horror, and if you don’t completely buy into it, you’re going to be left wondering why you just stared at grainy shots of a house for an hour and forty minutes.
Ultimately, I’m torn. Even though I loved it, it’s hard to recommend because a lot of people probably won’t click with it. If you enjoy analog horror, though, I would recommend turning off the lights, grabbing some headphones and letting yourself sink into the movie completely. “Skinamarink” is now available to stream on Shudder.
