Skinamarink Review

Kyle Edward Ball has written and directed his first feature-length film. It is a simple premise; Two kids wake up in the middle of the night with their father gone and windows and doors disappearing.

One thing is for sure about this film, no matter whether you like it or not you will leave with a strong reaction. I sat in the theater after the credits rolled not sure what to make of what I had just seen.

As I sat there the person next to me, who I did not come to the movie theater with, asked me what I thought with a slight chuckle. I told him “I will have to think on that one.” to which he said:

“That is a fair reaction.”

There are many critics and filmmakers who seem to really appreciate what Kyle Ball is going for in this film. There really isn’t a story, but rather sequences of children trying to figure out what is going on as the house is seemingly sentient and instructing them to go to different parts of the house where scary sequences take place.

Kyle uses this creepy atmosphere to great effect. He makes excellent use of lighting and shadows with a low resolution on the camera. You’re not sure what you’re seeing or if what you’re seeing is actually there.

This is the biggest strength of the film. It kicks the audience off of their axis and makes you wish you could leave but you cannot. However, this effect wears out its welcome.

At 100 minutes this structure Kyle uses multiple times becomes tedious, it becomes you wishing you could leave because you’re creeped out to you want to leave because you are bored.

Not only that, but the ending will frustrate many and I am surprised it didn’t frustrate more people.

It is commendable that Kyle made this with a 15,000-dollar budget and in his childhood home, but this would’ve been a better short film. 30 minutes would’ve been plenty of time to use this atmosphere and write a cohesive story.

2.5/5 Stars.