Shot on a visually obviously starved budget, skin rash proves that a horror film doesn’t need money to terrorize moviegoers.
Do you like American horror movies with huge budgets, full of hemoglobin and outrageous violence? Skinamarink probably isn’t for you. Because this first feature film by Canadian Kyle Edward Ball contradicts the current range of genre cinema. And that’s probably its greatest strength.
Showing no trace of violence on screen and using splashes of scarlet with impressive economy, the filmmaker draws all his strength from the power of suggestion, conjuring up the darkest and most disturbing nightmares of children.
After causing a stir at various festivals – including Fantasia in Montreal – in recent months, Skinamarink is now playing at the Cinéma du Parc. It will find sanctuary on the Shudder platform later this year.
dead end house
Its premise? Skinamarink plunges us into the darkness of a family home where two children wake up in the middle of the night. But something seems different. The toddlers will soon realize that their father is gone… like all the doors and windows of the house. However, you are not alone in this now dead-end building.
If this feature film is at times more of an exercise in style in terms of impressionism than traditional cinema, Skinamarink is definitely worth a look. But you have to be willing to do your part.
Because the film is unquestionably demanding. Convincing even. He doesn’t take the cinephile by the hand or mother him by revealing all his secrets. It is therefore necessary to work to appreciate all the nuances and subtleties that make it its strength. Granted, it’s (too) long and thoughtful in places. Despite this, he manages to create a particularly oppressive and frightening atmosphere.
In short, Skinamarink is probably not intended for all audiences. But who it is aimed at – namely the adventurous moviegoers – will most likely be branded by this unique and bold proposal.
skin rash (3.5 stars)
- A film directed by Kyle Edward Ball. Starring Jaime Hill, Ross Paul and Lucas Paul. To be seen at the Cinema du Parc in Montreal.