Review of Skinamarink (2023) by Octanenitro — 15 Jul 2023

After seeing the hype for Skinamarink, I truly wanted to enjoy it. A modern horror classic, combining elements of low-fi and analogue horror in an innovative way? Sign me up!

Unfortunately, my actual impressions were... mixed. On one hand, I can definitely see why so many people enjoy it. The film's use of silence and grainy, shadowy footage genuinely evokes the feeling of childhood fears and nightmares, and several scenes are unbearably tense knowing the horrors that could be lurking just beyond view. The visuals of a familiar, childhood home, gradually morphing into a hostile, pitch-black prison are extremely effective.

On the other hand, (and there is simply no way around this), the movie is empty and extremely long for what is actually there. Without any hyperbole, for every minute you'll spend watching actual horror or sitting with baited breath, you'll spend five staring at TVs, ceilings, and empty hallways, as the constant drone of static literally puts you to sleep. This is an experimental, indie project that simply did not need a 100 minute runtime - thirty minutes of content (or even enough to take the runtime under an hour) could be removed with essentially nothing of substance being lost.

Additionally, by the end of the film, the heavy use of static and VHS effects were actually hurting my eyes from the strain of following the events on screen - though I admit this is a personal gripe. The bigger issue from this is the film's simultaneous effective and ineffective use of darkness: so much is obscured, and difficult to visualise, that I wish something had actually been hidden there to reward our attention. In Skinamarink, a black wall of static is just that 99% of the time, which makes you wonder why these effects are so heavy and so constant to begin with.

Ultimately, whether you'll enjoy Skinamarink will likely come down to personal preference. If you're able to look past the flaws and enjoy the positives on offer, you'll come away equal parts terrified and refreshed. But if not, the effectiveness of those positives will almost certainly be diluted.