“Skinamarink” is a 2022 Canadian experimental supernatural horror film written and directed by Kyle Edward Ball that promises a new horror experience different from what typical horror audiences are accustomed to.
The film’s premise, about two children waking up to find their father missing and all the windows and doors in their home vanished, offers the potential for a unique and intriguing plot — however the experimental style of the film results in the story being almost impossible to follow.
The pacing is slow and tedious, with long stretches of nothing happening, leaving the audience bored and uninterested in what is happening on screen.
The film drags on for two hours, making it feel like an eternity. Most of the film is spent slowly looking over the walls and ceiling of each room in the house.
The lack of action and tension combined with the plodding pacing means that even the most die-hard horror fans will be checking their watches by the halfway point.
There is minimal acting throughout the movie. The cast, including Jaime Hill, Dali Rose Tetreault, Lucas Paul and Ross Paul, deliver solid performances, but their characters are one-dimensional and fail to connect with the audience. The audience can expect to see only the backs of their heads and feet in most scenes.
Fans of horror may be familiar with the style that Ball brings with “Skinamarink” from niche horror videos made and uploaded by solo content creators on Youtube.
Before directing “Skinamarink,” Ball ran a YouTube channel where he would upload videos based on nightmares recounted by commenters. While this style is trendy and works well with the short horror films uploaded onto Youtube, it does not translate well to a movie format.
Overall, “Skinamarink” falls short of its potential and ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. While it offers the promise of something new and exciting, it ultimately succumbs to cliché and monotony, dragging on for far too long and failing to deliver a truly satisfying story.