The killjoy German philosopher Schopenhauer once noted that life swings like a pendulum to and fro between boredom and pain.
And if the majority of Instagram horror heads are to be believed, Skinamarink is a painful and boring watch. Scroll through enough posts about this microbudget Canadian production, and you’ll read lamentations about too many lingering shots of walls, doors, hallways, carpets…
And it IS that. Sorta.
Marshalling up a defence of this film is a tall order, but that’s not to say it’s sans merit and dismissed like a king does a courtier. There is an undeniably claustrophobic vibe for parts of Skinamarink. Audiences ramped up their expectations because critics didn’t play up the “experimental” aspects of this in their reviews. So they’re in part to blame.
That said, parts of Skinamarink are a tough slog. And it’s probably best enjoyed after having popped a few Percocets. Given it’s highly experimental nature, it is highly visually oriented – think the similarly languidly paced features like a Saint Maud or hell, Nekromantik. Although both of those are like The Running Man by comparison.
However, therein lies the beauty, yes the beauty…of horror. No other genre is as diverse. And there are certainly people for whom Skinamarink is their cup of tea. Hmmm, peaceful, relaxing tea…
*** (out of 5)
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