Kyle Edward Ball’s “Skinamarink” is a haunting, slow-burn experimental movie that is a truly unsettling watch. Premiering to polarizing reactions, the micro-budget Canadian indie horror film has become a cult phenomenon, offering audiences a unique experience more akin to a fever dream than traditional storytelling.
Set in an abandoned suburban home in the 1990s, “Skinamarink” follows two young siblings, Kevin and Kaylee, who awaken one night to find their father missing—and with him, all the windows and doors. What follows is a surreal descent into isolation, dread and the blurring boundaries of reality.
Ball, who drew inspiration from childhood nightmares and dream-logic, leans heavily into minimalism. Dialogue is sparse, the grainy VHS-style visuals obscure more than they reveal and much of the film is spent in shadowy corners, focusing on ceilings, carpets and flickering TVs. This disorienting aesthetic forces the viewer into the role of a scared child peering through darkness, trying to make sense of what lurks just out of frame.
There are no traditional scares in this film. Instead, “Skinamarink” evokes fear through suggestion. The ambient hum of silence, the muffled cries and the static-drenched cartoon reruns playing on loop become tools of psychological terror. It is a truly bizarre and disturbing approach to filmmaking.
But this approach is not for everyone. Many will find the pacing excruciatingly slow, the narrative opaque, and the lack of resolution frustrating. “Skinamarink” does not explain itself. It is a movie that depends on the audience to do a lot of their own interpretation of the film.
Critics have been sharply divided. Some hail it as a groundbreaking work of analog horror, praising Ball’s ability to tap into universal childhood fears. Others dismiss it as pretentious and impenetrable. Regardless of opinion, it is hard to deny the film’s boldness and the conversation it has sparked in online horror communities.
“Skinamarink” is less of a movie and more of an experience—one that lingers like a memory of a nightmare you are not sure you had. For those willing to step into the dark and sit with the silence, it may just be one of the most haunting films in recent years.
Rating: 8/10