Recxpectations: Skinamarink

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Skinamarink is the kind of movie that exposes the current issues with film reviews. To put it bluntly, most every critic will admit that the mainstream moviegoer will not enjoy this movie. I think even the biggest rave reviews will concede that it’s not for everyone. But still, when we look at a review, the rating doesn’t reflect that and often times, even reading the review won’t necessarily make that clear. It often takes some reading between the lines to figure out, “Well, that doesn’t sound like something I would like.” This is yet another example of why movie review aggregate sites are fairly worthless. I can’t imagine many of the 75% of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes would argue that everyone should go see this film.

So, where do I think your head should be at if you go see it?

EXPECT: an experimental microbudget/student art house b-movie. Skinamarink is experimental to its core. You almost never see the characters in the film. 95% of the film are shots of the wall, ceiling, toys on the floor. There’s very little spoken and almost no dialogue. It’s grainy. The film’s intention isn’t to entertain but to recreate the feeling of being stuck in a nightmare. I think most people will see this as I did and think, “There’s no need for this to be 90 minutes long.” If you’ve never uttered the phrase “the audacity to break the form” or cited Dogme 95, then this movie probably isn’t for you.

DON’T EXPECT: the movie to get going. Skinamarink starts with what feels like an endless amount of b-roll shots. And that’s pretty much how the movie goes. The characters do finally “appear” usually only voice or the rare shot of feet, but it’s a slow movie. The opening is not a slow start, it sets the tone.

EXPECT: STROBING. One might say the featured player of the film is the TV set. But the TV often goes in and out and the blinking of the TV against the low lit backdrop is a major red flag for epileptics and people who struggle with strobelights. One guy I follow on TikTok said that while he liked the movie, he had to leave because he was feeling like he could get sick.

EXPECT: a movie you appreciate more than enjoy. Personally, I think this is an art film for the sake of the art. It’s not really trying to tell much of a story. It’s not developing any characters. It doesn’t even really seem to have much to say. It’s recreating a nightmare on a budget. A big part of appreciating this film is knowing that it was made for relatively cheap and isn’t afraid to take a big swing in terms of approach. Personally, I thought it was a swing and a miss but I will readily admit that I am not the target audience for this kind of cinema.

Personally, Skinamarink will likely be my least favorite movie of the year. Possibly even the decade. And I feel like most people will either turn off the film or laugh at the end and wonder WTF?! But it’s worth checking out if you’re someone who enjoys experimental, experiential films.

For those who are interested but aren’t sure if they want to commit, over at TikTok, I recreated what it feels like to watch the movie.