Skinamarink - The Strangest Horror "Movie" I've Ever Seen 

This might have been because I watched this movie alone at 2 AM, but I interpreted the face at the end of the movie as a fourth wall break. The face stares directly at the viewer, saying “go to sleep,” hinting how the movie is coming to a close. But when it asks “what’s your name,” I felt like it was speaking to the viewer directly, as if it had finished its business with Kevin and wanted to move on to another victim-you.

Shot on a grainy camcorder or VHS was certainly the look we were going for, but alas did not shoot on that. We used an FX6 with Ultra Primes, primarily the 16mm-32mm, high EI / S-log. The look is all post production by the director. I originally even wanted to get some DVX100's just to capture extra things, or to run everything through a VHS deck and back but that never ended up happening.

I read an article that said this movie was about child abuse and domestic violence. I believe that both Kevin and his sister Kaylee are/were children who are/were victims of child abuse. I believe that one of the parents, most likely the dad, was abusing Kevin and his sister. Kevin didn't really fall down the stairs, I believe his dad either pushed/threw him down or was beating Kevin and he fell down them as a result. The dad's phone call where he says "he didn't even need stiches" is the same type of troupe and lie that abusers often tell others who notice signs of abuse. "Oh, they only fell" or "It was an accident" or "We were just playing around". When in all actuality, the abuser is lying to try and cover up their abuse. In Kevin's case, his father was covering up the abuse on the phone call. Kevin is likely in a coma and will die from his father's actions. From there, we witness Kevin slip into a coma and we are watching the dreams he has as a result. I believe that the lack of doors and windows to the house is a representation that there is often times no way out for victims of abuse, especially children. So Kevin is trapped in his mind due to the coma and that also represents that he is trapped in the cycle of abuse and domestic violence. When Kevin and Kaylee's mom shows up that is a representation that she is also the victim of abuse at the hands of her husband. She may have already been killed by her husband. Who is the first person we see in the movie? It's Kevin and Kaylee's dad I believe. Next we see Kevin, then Kaylee, then the mom. I think that is tragically the reverse order in which they were murdered by their father. Kevin had to watch his mom get killed by his father, then his sister, and finally he was murdered. The chaotic cartoon music and blood spatter at the end are representative of the chaos that victims of domestic violence have to live with and how chaotic things gets when they are tragically killed. I believe the face at the end of the movie may be Kevin's previously deceased mother or his deceased sister. Kevin is dying now from his injuries and is fading away. The reason you see the girl, whether it is his mom or sister, with no mouth in the end is because that person too was a victim of abuse and has been silenced just as Kevin now has. He is going to join the silence and cannot tell the world what his father has done to him. I can't wrap my mind around what I think the toy phone and constant flashlight clicking means at the end. I surmise that it is Kevin calling out for help and looking for a way out of the nightmare and coma he has been trapped in for over 500 days.

i like this take a lot, but i also like the idea of it just being about a bored demon. the thought of being a child trapped in this liminal space with a demon who “can do anything” for no reason is just as (or i would argue more) terrifying than a coma fever dream. at least the dream would have to come to an end. i also saw someone point out how it mimicked kevin’s behavior when it was killing him over and over like how kevin was replaying the cartoon scene over and over. i think this could go both ways to show a sentient being who learned this behavior or it could be a creation of kevin’s subconscious who inherently has the same behaviors as him. at the end of the day, the movie is ambiguous enough that the scariest part is what you come up with in your own mind, kind of like a kid staring into a dark closet.

I viewed this movie as a being that's devouring the family, when the cartoons skip and repeat when the sister is attacked. This cartoon music plays, skips and repeats on the future scene (small boy is attacked) where the blood comes gushing after the scream, then rewinds to happen again. Hell is repetition. Did anyone else get that

I think it might also be about a child’s feelings during a divorce. Some of the dialogue seems to imply their parents are going through a divorce and the weird things with the house could represent how the familiar status quo has changed forever for the children and their own home and family life now fees scary, confusing and unfamiliar.

Sure watch it, but most importantly, support the movie when it finally comes out in theaters! Support the director so he can make more amazing movies like this!

I feel like the coma theory is a good one, however, there was a few scenes with Kaylee wondering around by herself making me feel like it can't just be from the point of view from kevin. I liked your earlier theory on childhood truama, i feel like it more corosponds with the overall story

what’s interesting to me is when kaylee’s doll is on the ceiling, it’s pose resembled your typical angel imagery with its legs bent in an almost floaty way and hands out to imply holding a trumpet as most angels are depicted with… i wonder if it meant anything

Honestly this movie was the DEFINITION of a childhood fear of waking up in the middle of the night and all of your fears that your mind creates… become real. And you can’t do anything about it. You’re stuck.

while it’s more emotionally poignant when viewing it through the lense of familial trauma and abuse, i find it infinitely more interesting to view everything that is happening as literal. would love to know jsut a sentence or two more about this entity

I was looking all over the internet for a review like yours!! I am NOT gonna watch Skinamarink at all, but I was very curious about the plot (kinda obsessed), so I watched the whole review (with spoilers). Very good content! Now I don't have to watch the movie to know what it is about (i'm sure i was going to regret that decision) :)

Got to finally see this in theaters, I highly recommend. Most places are only playing it late at night and the surround sound experience adds so much and made the jumpscares way more terrifying

The children cartoon has a lot of information to the story telling and what is happening. When the angels/babies fall down into dream land, it can indicate that when they lost their mother, their trauma started to slip into their lives. I think Kevins sleepwalking started after his mother died, and he maybe saw his mom downstairs and that is the reason why he fell down. And that head injury either killed him or set him into a coma. The furniture disappearing can mean that Kevin is scared of losing everything else he has. First he loses his mom, then his father, then furniture/toys and then his sister. In the cartoon when one of the birds dies, it is carried away by other birds. I think it means that the mother died and it feed the fear of Kevin that he is going to lose everything. Then when the cartoon character feeds the birds and more birds come, it indicates that the stress, fear and sadness in Kevin started to surround him. The last cartoon shots are looping, of the rabbit first angering the dog, then disappearing multiple times on loop. I think this can mean that Kevin kept missing his mother and seeing him lose her, that it got to him very badly. Even in the coma state/dying state all he was thinking about is losing everything. A critical point is when he calls 911. He says he is alone, meaning he knows that he is no longer in the real world. First he has hopes that someone can come help him, but when the monster (fear/trauma) starts calling out to him, he realizes that it is already too late. The 500smth days might be now that he was really in a coma for that long, or it was the days how long he went on after his moms passing.

It's worth noting that this movie is *divisive* on the question of how disturbing it is. I saw this movie at the horror film festival Ramaskrik, and didn't find it disturbing at all, while some friends found it terrifying, and others were angry that they actually spent 90 minutes of their lives watching it. I think a lot of it comes down to how your mind reacts to the white noise. To some, it seems to elicit a fear response. For me, it makes me sleepy. I honestly had to fight to keep myself awake, because I wanted to try to figure out the mystery of what is happening. I came out of the cinema feeling slightly bored more than anything. I didn't hate the movie, but I was kind of annoyed that I didn't just let the movie lull me to sleep (maybe it would have been scary then, putting me in a sort of half-asleep altered state of consciousness). But it has grown a little on me, after a few discussions with friends. Ultimately, it wasn't a movie for me, but it's a movie I can still kind of laud for its interesting premise and style. Also, interesting take on the story. It's not one I've heard so far.

Don't forget to buy the movie when it comes out on vod or whatever to support the writer/director. Make sure they get the love they deserve.

Once you began talking about the ending of the movie, I had to switch tabs because I DID NOT WANT TO SEE THAT FINAL FRAME. It is crazy to me how scared it got me as a horror movie fan. Long theory & spoilers ahead: As for your theory, I think you are mostly right, BUT I do think there are some world-building/relationships you overlooked. I am almost sure there is a divorce storyline in the film. Beginning with the father talking on the phone, based on his wording and tone, I immediately thought he sounded like an annoyed co-parent reporting to their ex-partner about the children. My suspicion was further solidified by the master bedroom scene because the dad asks Kaylee to check under the bed as though there is a monster he wants her to see. After her attempts, her mother appears as though Kaylee lured her from underneath the bed. And there's the dialogue of "your father and I are........we love you and Kevin very much", that sounds like the cliché "we are getting a divorce" talk. I also think the mother is a metaphor for the entity, especially because when he is being attacked, I don't think Kevin called out for his mom to save him; it sounds like he was begging her to stop hurting him. So, it probably is a coma, and like in dreams, we process events in our lives within them. Dreams can be strange in how our thoughts and feeling are rationalized through them. I think the mother left abruptly IRL because she is the only person who disappears in the same way as the cartoon character that was looping. Potential affair at play too, when the parents tell Kaylee there is an intruder (homewrecker metaphor) and when that intruder is approaching her we also hear the mom's bones snapping (shape-shifting into a more monstrous-looking entity?). Her moans were also pretty weird at that moment (like that lady did not sound like she was in pain lol). I go more into depth in a Reddit comment I left in a theory thread: www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/ylnz3m/comment/ivc8d7a/?context=3 Great job on the video! I think you are onto something good with the way you structured and shot the vid.

Sounds like it’s about the death of innocence through poor parenting and just how damaging and scary it can be in real time… I’m terrified but intrigued.

i really appreciate this movie and it’s subtleties, essentially showing how even the smallest of films (technically budget in this case, but can also be length) can have such an interesting story worth telling. I really hope more movies like this release, more original concepts like EEAAO, Smile (which was actually originally a short film 😮), and Nope. All these movies (including Skinamarink) all have stories to tell that are fresh and aren’t just some milked franchise trying to make another plot point to tie in thousands of movies. I pray that more films like these come out and they can give inspiration to others how it did for me (going to college to be a director 🎉😅). What are y’all’s thoughts?

I usually dont get scared watching horror movies because I love the genre and the creative ways they have to offer but this movie was horrifying for me to watch. every minute of its uncanny valley. I made a mistake watching 1 hour of it at 1AM alone in my room and I got so scared I finished it the next day. I think this movie is so creative with the scares because the surrounding is quiet and eerie just waiting in silence for something to happen. I see very heavy inspiration from the Mandala Catalog series and using it style for a whole 1h 40m of its genius. I think the cartoons the kids were watching symbolize the situation they are in whether it is an abuse, uncanny intruder situation, escape.

The trailer is better than the movie. The movie was just too long for what it was. It was definitely creepy, unsettling and felt like a lofi nightmare but the runtime killed me. I hope to see more from this director because there’s great aspects to what he’s doing, and we have the same name, so that’s neat.

Also if you like the full length movie check out the short it's based off of called "Heck"

I just watched this movie and it was so eerie and terrifying… the ending especially left me speechless.

I wanted so desperately for someone to remember him falling down the stairs, everyone that’s seen it overlooks that park and I knew it was so important.

I watched this a few weeks ago and I've been waiting for someone to post a video about it! I love your coma theory but here's the one thing that bothers me about all that, didn't we see a few scenes with the sister where it was from her POV? I could have sworn the bedroom scene she had left her brother downstairs while she was being asked by her father to look under the bed. And then the mother shows up and says that someone else is in the house with them?! That's where I get tripped up. This movie fucked me up! It's been a month, maybe a little more since I've seen it and I still think about it every couple days 🤣☠️

Love your theory about the film.. made me look at from a different perspective but I also think the mother had more to do with the story.. Kevin says in the movie “I don’t want to talk about mom” or something along those lines. That really stuck out to me..

this is the only movie i haven’t been able to finish out of being creeped out

I figured the kid hit his head and it send him into a nightmare existence where his memories start fading

My brain has run absolutely wild with theories for this film. Though I will admit Ive never been the best at deciphering metaphors and deep meanings of movies and usually need it explained to me lol. BUT I couldnt help but come up with some and this comment will include spoilers just in case anyone didnt want any. I will say I more enjoy theories that dont explain away what is necessarily happening, such as the coma theory. but more of, this is happening in the movie, what does it represent in the story. All the theories are a bit all over the place and they all have some connection back to abuse, specifically of the children. My first theory is Kevin and Kaylee's parents got a divorce (shown by how the mom talks in the bedroom scene it is very reminiscent of the "we are getting divorced" talk). And then when she says there is someone else there and her moaning and the bone snapping, I saw that as, "mom and dad are splitting up mom is bringing strange men around" and sort of the childs perspective on that, I believe the monster and lack of parents is a representation of neglect and abuse by the mother and I think the new people/person in her life. I believe the neglect is mostly the mother and the more direct physical abuse would be the partner(s). I know this theory doesnt have the most ground to stand on but honestly none of mine do because this movie is a fuck show and im sure all theories on it fell pretty unsteady. Anyways, my second theory, which is even more out there without much to stand on but I do like it so I'll still share. I feel like the earlier parts of the movie before the parents and doors and such vanish are showing time when Kevin and Kaylee were with their parents, and then afterwards, after theyre gone, is representative of them after they have been removed from that home for whatever reason, possibly implied abuse from the fathers phone call about kevin "falling down the stairs" or maybe the father was abusive, the mom left/they got a divorce (back to the bedroom scene) and the mother was unable to care for them on her own, so she gave them up. I feel like Kaylee and Kevin were put into some sort of foster care or care of people other than the parents (possibly directly introduced by the mother because of the bedroom scene with the person there once again) and the monster is a representation of these new caregivers who are neglectful and abusive. The monster says to Kevin that Kaylee "just kept asking for your mom and dad" after killing kaylee, implying it is something different than the parents themselves. this is more of a stretch but at the end of the movie when we see the woman's face in the dark and Kevin asks what it's name is, it shows Kevin isn't familiar with this person, even though Kaylee could recognize their mom and dad in the bedroom. I know this theory is more out there but theres too many tiny things for me not to mention it and think about it. I do quite like the theory even if not likely. Anyways sorry for the long comment lol. Just watched the movie with my brother a couple nights ago and have hardly been able to talk about it with anyone since either a) they havent seen it b) i want to get them to see it or c) they obvously wouldnt like it and do not care lol. thank you for giving me to space to gush about it because i loved it. first horror movie to really get to me in a while

I think it’s about the children dealing w/ fighting parents who are also abusive.

i knew kevin falling and sleep walking had something to do with everything but damn that coma theory makes perfect sense

Just finished watching and it was a hard watch due to the urge to sleep, but curiosity got the best of me. I had the coma theory and that they were in some kind of hell on earth, slowly suffering. Had some childhood traumas come up at times, as weird, the carpet, legos, and parents never together What got me feeling the tension was the sensation that the movie was never going to end, each second felt like a minute, a minute an hour, time only flies when we're close to being happy.. And after so many problems, are we truly relaxed enough to sleep? What is your name?

Sir, I was WAITING for someone to give me some spoilers.

Upon rewatching the captioned version, I realized it's actually Kevin saying "What's your name." I'm not sure what that means but I figured I'd throw that out there.

finally someone talking about this on RU-vid

I’m the theater I leaned over and told my boyfriend “I think Kevin is in a coma” and it changed everything for us. SO GOO!!

Great review. I just saw this move and you pretty much echoed how I felt about the movie. After about 30 minutes, this movie went balls to the wall for me and became one of the creepiest movies I’ve ever seen.

That's a very good take, but I don't know, these kind of movies are so deep and in my experience there's always a missing piece to the puzzle. btw you got a new suscriber.

Proud to be your 420th sub also this movies was a whole different experience to watch at like 3 AM lol

i feel like the coma theory is the most logical.....towards the end u see images of his family with the faces blurred out.....to me that symbolizes that the extent of his injuries have progressed to the point hes losing his memory and cant even recognize his loved ones anymore......also at the end either someone asks him what his name is or hes the one asking......self explanatory: he doesnt even know hes looking at his mother anymore, or the nurse ( assuming hes in the hospital) is testing his cognitive functions and wants to see if he can at least remember what his name is.

If the coma theory is true, I believe the face at the end is the literal personification of death come to claim Kevin.

THE LAST SCENE TERRIFIESSSSS MEEE

Skinamarink is easily the most terrifying film I’ve ever seen in my life. It took me back to being that scared little 5 year old boy that was so afraid of the dark. I am very hard to scare I don’t get rattled easily at all and I couldn’t name you a horror movie before Skinamarink that really affected me up until I seen Skinamarink, this film is absolutely petrifying but I was chasing that tail for so long to become scared and this done it for me.

One connection I noticed was the blood splatter reversing over and over being the same as the cartoon bunny squashing repeatedly in a previous scene. Wonder what it means

I personally thought it was about divorce. Back when kaylee walks upstairs and after her father disappears her mother says “kaylee your..” in the same kind of tone as “ your father and I are getting a divorce” and then says “your father and I love you and Kevin very much”. They may have split custody one going with the father and the other going with the mother. The house turning upside down could be a representation for how divorce could literally turn a child’s world upside down. The door could be a door for the house of a new family and the entity we see at the end could be the step parent meeting Kevin for the first time.

That's the kind of review I was looking for!!! Thank you so much, best regards from Brazil 🇧🇷💚💛

The coma take is interesting but it does make sense, there’s other moments that seem to support this theory. A random moment before kaylee goes upstairs one of the children says out of nowhere “why is mommy crying” even tho there is no crying to be heard by us. Also the scene where kaylee goes up into her parents room is shown in her perspective. Both her parents can be seen sitting on the bed at separate times, seemingly with their backs turned to one another, possibly hinting at the growing rift in their relationship since the “accident” they are most likely neglecting kaylee at this point as well. Also if you watch the movie with subtitles on, when kaylee is staring into the dark closet, it clearly says “bones cracking” and it seems as if the “entity” haunting the children is killing the mother. Possibly this is a child’s interpretation of the mother actually hanging her self in the closet due to grief. The “bones cracking” could be her neck from hanging presses. These are just some extra things to unpack that may suggest the coma theory is correct what do you think?

Heck, the short film this film was inspired by, does answer some questions about this theory. And by god is it unsettling.

such a great video !! just watched the movie recently and omfg was it a trip. you absolutely hit the nail on the head describing what made the experience so unnerving. interesting theory, too! i def have to rewatch it w that in mind.

I haven’t watched Skinamarink, but from your description of it, your interpretation of the film seemed spot on to me. While I am fascinated by the horror genre, I just don’t care to consume that sort of negativity, so I avoid watching horror movies. Spoilers like your video are, therefore, perfect for me. Keep up the good work.

This film has been living rent free in my head since I saw it and I've been overthinking it to the nth degree, so here is my conclusion. I don't buy any of the theories doing the rounds, I think that although there's clear themes of neglect, abuse, maybe even divorce, narratively it's what you see is what you get. An entity of some sort slowly settles into the house, first it makes Kevin throw himself down the stairs - the significance of this is that Kevin is hurting himself, the knife to the eye later is a reveal that the entity is the one that made him do it, there's no indication that a coma is involved, in fact we have a good few Kaylee POV shots so we know this isn't just Kevin's subjective experience. The entity cuts them off from the outside world, then it unmoored the house entirely from space and time in a sort of neverending night. It does something to the parents, it's not clear whether it sort of becomes the mother or kills her but it does something unpleasantly crunchy with her off screen at any rate and blips the dad out existence. It takes Kaylee's mouth and eyes because she resists, finally just getting rid of her entirely. It amuses itself by making the Kevin do awful things, kills him and rewinds time just to do it over and over again at a cruel whim, then lets him live to do it again later. It warps the house spacially too. The end is rather arbitrary because the suggestion is that it will never end, the face at the end is all Kevin will see from now on.

Most people hated Blair Witch but I loved it. I think I will feel the same about this as well. I take it the people that don't like it really feel they need everything explained with no open endings.

Need more movie reviews bro, this was a great reaction to this film. I felt somewhat the same on this. Loved the experience. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I love it! Finally someone gets it and gives this incredible movie a great original intepretation! I'm mezmerized by this anxiety inducing great film. Amazing movie. With "Heck" and "SKINAMARINK" I'm left craving for more... Will be following the creator(s)

the director made a short film on youtube called “heck” kid wakes up and can’t find his parents or open their door. in the movie the kid says “i’m sorry i got cancer.” so maybe Kevin had cancer?

We thought the same thing about Kevin being in a coma after falling down the stairs.

I watched this film and agree with your enthusiasm for it. Quick note, very early on there is a scene from the cartoon on the television which I believe sets up the entire narrative. It shows two cartoon characters falling asleep in the same bed together and then you see what looks like their souls drifting upwards to heaven as if they had died in their sleep. Obviously this is not what happened to Kevin and Kayla as far as going up to heaven, but it certainly explains a lot in my opinion. I don’t want to say too much more as to spoil things for those reading through these comments who haven’t actually watched the movie

That definitely makes sense. And it makes the scene with the mom sitting on the bed a lot more sad. 😢

This movie was a piece of art, my dad hated it, I loved it, if you are willing to look past the surface level it’s truly amazing

You gotta watch the filmmakers short film here on RU-vid called "Heck". I had to stop because I was creeped out lol.

Dont know if is a common toy or not, but i noticed that the telephone toy from the film its pretty similar to the one on toy story 3

The face at the end reminded me of the claymation devil from The Adventures of Mark Twain

After reading quite a few comments and I really appreciate your insight into this movie because I felt left a little wanting lol. It was like David Fincher nightmare-fuel. So MUCH nothing and weird angles and seemingly dissonant and unfulfilled story points, it feels SO up for interpretation, it might as well be a FromSoft game. When Kevin gets turned upside down after the entity boasts what it can do, and forces Kevin to come upstairs, he goes into his parent’s bedroom and is then taken by the entity far far far away, and is, I think, imprisoned in a room filled with recordings of the cartoons he watched and the toys he played with, so the entity had someone to play with forever. The 572 days thing had me like “Okay KH 358/2 days…. Is this a coma?” And the comments here really help justify that. It’s very FNAF in like… when did this happen? IS this a Jacob’s Ladder scenario?? They zoom out from the hell Kevin’s living in, in his mind, to show the living room with the tv still on and then zoom out again to, presumably, the outside of their house, trapped in this hell dimension. But the blood splattering… had me so confused. Subtitles had both the children crying, it specifying older child cries. Then, them saying “mommy”. Is that them begging her to stop? Or begging for her because it’s dad abusing them? The entity was killing the kids? Over and over? Thus the presto-o change-o music playing between? Yeah… no thanks… oof… *shudders* It all happened upside down, too. So I was essentially coming to the very grim conclusion that the kids’ bodies and souls were taken and they died in hell repeatedly, to the joy of the entity. *sigh* Then they go through the heaven door and that wall with the cloth draped over it and then the slow zoom in to the fuzzy nondescript face? Twas wild. I still am trying to decipher the subtitles. It says go to sleep first. Then, the subtitles for the subs say a child is asking “what’s your name?” And it asks twice. I’m wondering, is this actually the face asking the two kids their names so they can come into heaven? Or is this the beginning of the cycle for this entity? It enters your life by finding out your name, and then it can control you? I dunno, there IS a lot here, but I just don’t know if I care enough to break it down further. Thank you all for letting me vent, though

Just watched "HECK". Was totally bored. What is so Disturbing and interesting?

The only movie I felt truly bad for watching it on a shady site, I’m buying the fuck out of it when it’s available

i think the woman at the end is the first appearance of a second demon that may or may not be there to rescue him after 600 days

Started watching it in the dark with my AirPods so I can hear every sound. Halfway in it I had to turn on a lamp and take out my AirPods lol. It really wasn’t a unique experience. I felt like I started seeing stuff out of the corner of my eye in my own home. So that freaked me out a little. Really enjoyed it. On another note, have you watched Masking Threshold yet ?

I was thinking coma for Kevin but then I thought it may be Kevin and Kayleigh stuck in limbo or something, the scene with the blood kinda made me thought the dad could have killed them and they are reliving that moment

Does anyone have any thoughts on the toy phone? My husband and I think it may have replaced the real phone after the 911 call.

I think a lot of your observations are spot on but I think there's another possible way to look at the whole picture: What if it's not about a kid in a coma, but about someone with Alzheimer's? When you consider that many Alzheimer's sufferers revert to childhood memories, that would explain the child protagonists, but if you consider that this may actually be an elderly person, the really old cartoons suddenly make more sense. And everything else that happens - even the things you mention in your video - fit the Alzheimer's scenario as easily as the coma scenario.

For 15k dollars usd it was amazing. I didn’t think much of it was that scary after the first half it’s more abstract and interesting. Parts are fucking terrifying.

The coma theory is genius

Hi dude your review was really good and your right there is a whole heap to actually talk about and interpret in this feature. I must say for a budget movie it speaks volumes in both dramatic aspects, unsettling scenes and hidden quotes that add to the already creepy and disturbing content. I watched the trailer, found the movie and watched it. Then with all that info in the brain I raced around looking for an explanation or theory of which have found many. This movie easily has to be the most disturbing both domestic violence / family trauma / life ending film I have come across. The reason for its disturbing content being so disturbing is that it is in the view of the children. Meaning that yes there are a lot of disturbing movies whether short or feature films which leave you speechless though this being in the perspective of children it makes it even more disturbing. The divorce / murder theory is correct but also abusive violence / death of the kids is spot on, where the kids have actually already died when looking for the father and then reliving the horror in a dream state is a different aspect of which is an interesting theory and does fit though I think it is highly possible that at the point of death and this is going into great depth the brain fires an immense amount and all these abstract themes is what this poor kid sees in that last split second which seems an eternity for us (quite evident after ready some reviews here and else where) but as other have pointed out the only thing that does stand out is the bedroom scene with Kaylee, but that's just it it seems like an abstract look at what actually happened . I am going to try and watch it with my partner that does love horror but has not experienced anything like this, trauma comes in many forms and that is what I think the voice faceless figure is. P.S. These just like everyone else's interpretations are just that my own interpretations of the movie. The one thing I have not mentioned which does not change anything at all is that it hits close to home and some of you may judge me for this but you don't know the horror I lived and witnessed abstract scene while sleeping are all too real to me. The Director / screen play writer etc have come out with something that may be a cult feature who knows, all I know is that things like this in real life get forgotten and brushed far away in some deep dark whole but hopefully it will broaden peoples perception of real life.......

It has a surprisingly wide theatrical release. Check your local listing, I loved seeing it in a theater

Its Kevin who asks the entity ”Whats your name?’ Not the entity asking us.

Go watch it twice then the whple stuck in purgatory vibe gets foreal

Just saw it in theaters, I quite like it. One thing I'm wondering about is the mother though. I remember a specific line saying they don't wanna talk about what happened to mom.

It's very analog horror imo. Leaving what's actually happening kinda up to the viewer.

I really like your Interpretation, sounds very conclusive! But how does the scene in the parent's sleeping room fit in? If I remember it correctly it is shot from Kaylee's perspective.

I’m not sure but I thought about the cartoon at the beginning of the kid surrounded by black birds. What’s a gathering of crows? A murder

Way to go on acknowledging Maddy as the source for coma theory. Many RU-vidrs wouldn't have acknowledged they got an idea for their film interpretation from someone else.

have u seen heck? its a short film made by the same guy that skinamarink eventually came out of, its really cool

Your theory is probably going to end up being correct with the child abuse angle added in that other users have been mentioning. The reason why I believe this is the film's composition and what it's actually mirroring. This film shot for shot mirrors 1970 to 1990 after school films that tackle serious problems but can't be graphic per se so that usually use symbolism. See the short "drugs are like that" "the creeps machine" and other ACI shorts. This film keeps the vagueness of those shorts but ratchets it up to 11 with the horror aspect with only a bit more Gore than you would see in these shorts. This is a symbolic '70s after school film about domestic abuse depicting a child in a coma in universe. A film within a film if you will. As for the date yes those films would still be shown in schools in 1995

All i can say is that it’s very unsettling! Never seen anything like it.

I watched it and LOVED IT!! Was absolutely horrified!!!! You have to let yourself get pulled in. Also watch it alone in the dark at home. TERRIFIED even though almost nothing happened. It was filmed in digital but the 70s camcorder look was added in post.

I just got done watching and reacting for my channel. It is 1 am. Now I will not sleep.

One huge hole in your “Kevin coma” theory, I see a lot of people saying this is about Kevin being in a coma but my huge issue with that is if it really is about Kevin being in a coma then how do we see things from Kaylees POV as well? If it was all going on in the mind of Kevin whilst he was suffering from a coma then there is no way you would be able to see anything from Kaylees point of view. Just a thought I could be very wrong but I just don’t see how this theory works with some things being from Kaylees perspective as well as Kevins?

Saw it in theaters and the audio was immersive!

Saw it in theater with around 20 people at 9:30pm last night. It was dead silent could hear a pin drop, this is the second time I didn't hear the audience make a peep since Quiet place. No one really talked afterwards either, everyone was just sitting there and digesting what just happened. The movie is definitely disturbing and unsettling on multiple levels. Fortunately I had no problem going to sleep though since I have my cat to go home to lol

I would've preferred an 80 minute running time. Tbh. Other than that I thought it was so well done and like one long panic attack. It's unnerving as hell and I love the fact that there is no clear cut indicator of what happens, it is up to yourself to decide your own conclusions. I wouldn't watch this alone in the dark. Ps it reminded me of "we're all going to the world's Fair" I will be looking out for this director going forward.

How they get children for this kinda film that isnt traumatizing them on a deep level is beyond me.

I thought the movie was a metaphor for the kids experiencing their parents divorce

My interpretation was that both Kaylee and Kevin may have been enduring physical and sexual abuse from their dad. He was playing twisted psychological games with the both of them like the “look under the bed” scene Or when he says, “I want to play” referring to the LEGOS and then the teddy bear(or bunny?) drops to the floor. Abusers like to embed cues into their victim’s mind thus making them connect exact moments when said abuse will occur. As Kaylee states,“I feel strange”. Kaylee most likely spoke up about this abuse and ended up with the punishment of no eyes or mouth in her afterlife body/vessel; she can no longer “see no evil nor speak no evil”. Reminiscent of the kid that had his tongue cut out for “speaking evil” in Wes Craven’s film, ‘The People Under the Stairs’. Another implication of sexual/physical abuse is that of their mother appearing at the edge of the bed with her back turned, she can’t even turn around to look her daughter in the face, as she carries a lot of shame and had become very aware of the abuse her husband had been dishing out, perhaps even partaking in the abuse; as she states to Kaylee, “close your eyes”. There’s a film from 1988 called ‘Nuts’ featuring Richard Dreyfuss that immediately came to mind; the story is a woman kills a guy in self defense and then the whole film revolves around a courtroom drama. It’s revealed that her father was sexually abusing her for years. Before the Sex acts would occur he would give his daughter money to keep her quiet and her mother was very aware of what had been going on. Underrated film, IMHO. Also, when the toilet disappears then two buckets appear, it immediately made me think of a news story where a couple in Florida had their child chained up in the basement and he was enduring years of abuse. One of the things the police found when they recovered his body is a bucket that he had been given to use as a toilet. The stair fall scene with Kevin, right before he falls Kaylee asks, “are you hiding?” Why would Kevin be hiding if Kaylee said to her dad that he was sleepwalking when he fell? as their dad claims on the phone call. I think perhaps it was a demon(dad’s inner demon) inflicting one of his many abuses. The “put the knife in your eye”, slashing blood on the carpet and bloody window(or wall?) scenes are implying their murder, as dad went on a rampage then takes his own life. Kevin does muster up the strength to call 911, but drops the phone, perhaps that was the moment he passes over. The family has been in a sort of home bound purgatory(doors disappearing, toys floating, cartoons on repeat loop), but then their guardian angel(look up angel number “572” in numerology) at the end appears to free the children’s soul, as she states “go to sleep” as if to say you can go to the light now, children; or maybe they go to sleep wake up and the same cycle repeats over and over. I’ll stick with the they went to the light theory, as gives me more closure to this interpretation.

I saw it, and I was disturbed. Until the coma thing… but still sad… RIP Kevin… although I still wonder what that blood splattering in the hallway, supposed to represent.

At the end of the movie it's Kevin asking the face what his name is btw

i really like your girlfriends interpretation but i just think that the house just got haunted by a bored demon that plays around with the kids, one example could be seen towards the end, when the "demon" kills kevin over and over again while he calls for his mother

Honestly I think the movie dragged on a bit too long sometimes but I enjoyed the parts with the children interacting. It's nice to have a new film in the found-footage category, I was a fan of paranormal activity and I didn't think we'd ever get something like that again in the current day

That tommy 2 tone scares tf outta me

It was okay. I don't get how people think it's so disturbing or nightmare inducing. I will say that this is the most different kind of horror movie I've seen in a while though. Not gonna watch it again but glad I watched it

Have you seen his other film Heck? That’s what Skinamarrink is based on.