This experimental horror is being called the “scariest film ever made”

12 January, 2023

Shudder and AMC's 'Skinamarink'

There is a new experimental horror film that’s being called the “scariest” ever made: Skinamarink.

The film is an outlier in terms of the money that is usually thrown around Hollywood, and is an independent release from Canadian director Kyle Edward Ball. The film is believed to have cost just $15,000 (£12,000) to make.

Skinamarink hasn’t had a public release yet, but it’s still making waves in the horror world. The film follows two young children, played by Lucas Paul and Kaylee Dali Rose Tetreault, who wake up in the middle of the night to discover their father is no longer home.

The film follows two young children as they try to survive a night alone. CREDIT: AMC

The two kids are both under the age of seven, and their confusion grows as their home’s doors and windows start to disappear. To cope with a situation they can’t fully comprehend, the pair retreats to their living room to set up camp by the light of old, eerie cartoons on a dated television. But soon, they realize that there is something invading their space that desperately wants their attention.

The film is less action, but more slow-paced suspense. It’s already drawn comparisons to  David Lynch’s revered film Eraserhead, and, due to the atmosphere of dread the film creates, reviews are now calling Skinamarink “the scariest film of all time”.

Inverse also described it as “easily the most sinister and downright malevolent story put to film in a long time”. Meanwhile, Variety said there’s “an ominous entity at work” in the film, concluding: “What happens in Skinamarink sneaks up on you so quietly that you aren’t just scared; you believe.”

That said, those wanting a straightforward horror experience may not want to watch this film, as it is an experimental movie. Bloody Disgusting have hinted at this, commenting that while it will “instil unnerving terror” into some viewers, “others will find it too impenetrable to engage”.

Skinamarink will receive a limited release on January 13 and will be available to stream on Shudder later this year.

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