-A Do (Doo)

All art criticism is subjective. Sure, it's hard to make an argument that Casablanca isn't a cinematic treasure or that Tiptoes is, but at the end of the day, books, paintings, music, and of course, films are going to hit their audience differently. Comedy and horror are the best examples of this, as they require a very specific interior connection in order to achieve their goals as media. Either something is funny to you or it's not, and either something scares you or it puts you to sleep.

In the case of internet sensation Skinamarink, I'm in the latter category. 

Literally: I fell asleep halfway through this movie.

Quick Plot: Something something blurry something.

Okay, I'll try harder. Here's what IMDB says happens in Skinamarink:

Sure? 

Written and directed by newcomer Kyle Edward Ball, Skinamarink is an avant garde attempt to capture a child's nightmare, diving into a sensory experience without any real guidance. That's a good idea! And according to many viewers of Skinarmkink that aren't me, it works!

But oh my, to me, it was 100 minutes of fuzz.

A few points of order, as I think HOW you watch Skinamarink will direct your reaction:

- I streamed to my television via Shudder with the lights out 

- I used headphones direct to my Roku remote control in the hopes of getting the most out of the unusual sounds (recommended if you're watching at home)

- Unusual for me, I kept the subtitles off so I could get a closer theater experience. Since the film randomly subtitles itself when trying to communicate a specific piece of dialogue, I'd also recommend this way of watching

- No phone near me, computer closed, and aside from the occasional cat meow, no distractions

And still...this did nothing for me until 50 minutes in, I broke, paused, and closed my eyes. About 50 minutes later, I woke up, finished the movie (WHICH IS ANOTHER 50 MINUTES), and that's all there is. 

Now. Having said all of that, I do want to be extremely clear: if you can connect to this film, it will probably unnerve you like nothing else. I'm certainly happy to say that I've never really seen anything like this before. Sure, David Lynch has given us multiple nightmares in semi-narrative film form, but Ball's DIY grain and child POV is genuinely new. 

I'm glad to see this kind of film find success. But that doesn't mean I took any enjoyment in the experience.

High Points
As I said, Skinamarink may VERY WELL work for a LOT of horror fans. Heck, my cat loved it!

Low Points

I can handle a style not jibing with my senses, I can handle a filmmaker taking their time to build tension, but why, dear god WHY would you put this out with a 100 minute run time????

Lessons Learned

There is an endless selection of mildly creepy cartoons available through the public domain

Rent/Bury/Buy

Sigh. I found Skinamarink to be a dull, frustrating, WAY TOO LONG experience, but if you were to watch it and tell me it captured your childhood nightmare and gave you even worse ones, I'd fully respect that. I feel like every horror fan kind of owes it to themself to give it a try.