Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Skinamarink’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains minor spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Skinamarink’.
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One thing that we can all agree upon, is that adulthood… has its drawbacks. For it can be stressful to say the least. In part because it is up to us to figure out how to get everything done that we need to do within a limited timeframe. Because most of our time is dedicated to working, so that we can also eat and keep a roof over our heads. Plus, we’ve also got to keep our friends and family in mind since they need our time and attention as well, and because they keep us sane from the other big stressor in our lives… the world. Since it is oft a place of chaos where anger and cruelty sometimes win the day and that… saps our energy and definitely puts us in a tough place, one that prompts a need for nostalgia. The kind where we remember a simpler time, where all of that chaos didn’t exist, and our lives were filled with joy and good food and carefree days. Specifically, childhood.
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In fact, that is a part of our past that everyone looks fondly upon and cherishes, and we envy children for the wonder and simplicity and purity they enjoy at that age. But what’s funny about that line of thinking, is that… it isn’t wholly correct. For it is nothing more than an escape related thought, one designed to help our minds cope when life is overwhelming. Because in reality, childhood isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it can be quite scary, and the freedom we think we have really at that age, doesn’t exist. Because we rely upon our parents to survive, and it is incredibly important that we take the time to remember that childhood can be a trying time. Not to ruin the wholesomeness it does harbor, but to remind us that it was a segment of our lives wrought with challenges and lessons, like any other.

Since this is when we learned how to handle fear, and how to slowly build self-sufficiency, and our parents were indeed there every step of the way to help us learn those elements and we are always grateful for that. Since we don’t know what would have happened without that guidance and would prefer to not ponder upon those possibilities. But there are of course, those who do, in part to understand the symbiosis that exists between parent and child and to reflect upon the terror that childhood can produce to give us the perspective we deserve, and fiction is a perfect place to do that, as evidence by the latest Shudder release, Skinamarink. For this is a horror story that features one unique evening in the lives of two children. For after a stressful beginning to the evening, where young Kevin is injured sleepwalking, he and his sister Kaylee, awaken in the middle of the night to discover they are all alone in the house, with no means of escape and as they try to make the best of what should be a temporary situation… their hearts are filled with fear as the hours of isolation drag along and a seeming presence in the house… seeks them out.

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Which is a plot that at first glance, seems too simplistic in nature to explore any of the elements we’ve discussed. Since that appears to be nothing more than a scary night for two kids who let their imaginations run wild… but that is the wonder of this storyline. In that, its simplicity allows for visceral and real moments to take place. The kind that truly explore those very elements. Because the simple act of using the restroom for these kids or eating or even traversing through darkness, suddenly becomes a chore. A terrifying one at that when some ‘thing’ seems to be stalking them in the dead of the night. Allowing for us to quickly understand how daunting childhood was back in the day and how little we understood and how much we needed mom and dad to help us with stuff that is now second nature to us.

But while all of that brings forth some fascinating moments for certain, none of that seems to offer genuine elements of horror. But have no fear, the scary stuff is indeed present in this tale. For this is a story that uses its simple plot to prey upon simple fears. Since the dark plays a huge part in this story and that allows for our fear of it to creep back into our minds. Not to mention, this is a story that oft resembles a nightmare, courtesy of jarring imagery and avant-garde moments that defy reality and that leaves one disoriented and uncomfortable and unsettled. But the real scares, come from Kevin and Kaylee’s concerns about the presence in the home they sense is near, and those moments will indeed chill you to your core and also let your own imagination wander regarding what this presence is and that… leads to some equally as unsettling thoughts.

Since there are moments where you wonder, if we’re actually privy to a dark moment in the lives of these kids, where perhaps the person in charge of their safety... is the real monster of this story. But that is the brilliance of this tale. In that, it prompts what we know now about life and the world, to apply it to an ambiguous tale about one bad night for a pair of kids struggling to just… function and survive. And that truly does take us on quite the emotional ride and firmly reminds us of the struggles of being young, which we chose to abandon to offer ourselves comfort. Is that right? Is that wrong? The movie won’t speak to that, for it is up to us to decide. Instead, this is simply a story designed to take us back to a time that wasn’t as innocent as we might like, where we needed help and guidance to survive and that is quite scary. For it reminds us of the fragility of life and leaves us quite grateful for parents and guardians that provided us with exactly what we needed, and never let us slip into the chaos and fear that these poor souls experience in this visceral and raw nightmare.   

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