Horror in the Age of Now
April 25, 2023 • Written by Urchin Downing
We live in an age where everyone's a critic, everyone’s got an opinion, and the internet allows us to share these opinions and start a dialogue. While institutions of film seem insistent to reject the idea that horror as a movie genre is worthy of widespread praise, it’s been left to the people to discuss these movies, to celebrate them and what they offer to film as an art form. Though 2022 was a particularly critically acclaimed year for horror; and I agree with the critics, we haven't had such a good year for the genre in a while. So what made last year so special? And much more specifically, how is the recent lo-fi art house horror experience in Skinamarink, emblematic of this?
Every decade in horror feels like a new experience for the genre. 2000s movies like Saw and The Ring differ greatly from the 90s’ Scream and Bride of Chucky. When we look at the horror movies that came out in the latter half of the 2010s, directors like Ari Aster and Jordan Peele dominated the market with movies such as Hereditary and Us. The common theme that I found in movies that came out around the latter half of the decade is an overarching commentary that exists outside the movie. Us comments on the American class system, and Hereditary speaks upon familial loss and grief. The horror genre has always been used as a politically and socially communicative medium, but this current era of horror seems to offer more overt messaging than was expressed in films that have come before. When looking at the horror movies that have come out in the current decade I think that observation carries over. Last year’s Barbarian is an excellent example of this, speaking upon sexism and what it’s like to navigate the world as a woman. One thing that does differentiate the recent decades of horror is how they use color. The movies that came out in the 2010s have an overall sense of realism within their color grading, with nothing too saturated or bright. Movies such as 2015's The VVitch and even 2010's Insidious come to mind. While with films like 2021’s Last Night in Soho, and even 2022’s Pearl, we see bright color and heavy saturation play a key role in the storytelling of these movies. All this is to say, this decade of horror movies seem to put concept and color to the forefront of their storytelling, and there's already a solid base in this compelling new era of horror to show us what we can look forward to in the future.
The lo-fi monotonous yet horrifying feature, Skinamarink stands out to me as a movie that summarizes the trends of horror of the past decade while providing something fresh to the horror genre. While the indie film originally came out in 2022, it saw a theatrical release in the U.S. in early 2023. Skinamarink fits the bill of stylistic trends in horror of the 2020s. A lot of the movie takes place in the dark, much of the film emphasizes the color that comes from the movie's limited light source. The movie is also very cool toned which allows for the movie's shot-by-shot style of filming to not only keep a viewer on the edge of their seat but also admire these specific shots from the movie. The main characters of Skinamarink are not often shown to us in full. The main character is a little boy named Kevin and his sister Kaylee. Having the main characters be children allows director Kyle Edward Ball to play with things such as the height of the camera, the sound of a child running on the carpet, and the lack of knowledge of the world around you creating a sense of dissonance. There is a persistent expectation of action that creates a scary and tense watch-through. While some may find that boring, I think in an age where big screen horror relies on jumpscare and grotesque imagery, Skinamarink plays with the knots in our stomachs, waiting in anticipation for a satisfying scare to surprise us out of nowhere.
In terms of the movie's meaning, it's very open-ended, and Ball doesn't give a direct answer. People speculate that it's about familial trauma which, while fitting and likely, never while watching it did I feel like an underlying message was trying to permeate my experience. I didn't feel I needed to understand some greater picture as a requirement to enjoy the film. The vagueness of the plot allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions, which makes the movie compelling as you have to put the pieces of this movie together. Skinamarink received widely mixed reviews, which is understandable. I watched this movie in a theater setting, which I personally think is the best way to view the film. It demands your full attention and a sense of space for the movie to fill. I don’t feel it's a movie you can just throw on a computer and get the full experience, though this is a point of contention among fans. (Many fans do believe that sitting alone in the dark, deep under the covers, laptop uncomfortably close to your face, is the perfect environment to comprehensively experience Skinamarink.) So while I understand why the film has received its share of negative reviews, I think it's fair to acknowledge a lack of willingness from audiences to meet the movie where it's at. It's truly less of a movie and more of an art piece, something that asks for your full attention. In the grand scheme of the horror genre, it's possible we might not remember Skinamarink in years to come. However, I think the movie does a lot of things that are new for the genre that should not be ignored. From its color grading, cinematography, and sound design, Skinamarink offers a lot to a genre that strives for reinvention and expansion.
Looking at the current lineup for this year of horror filmography, everything that’s been released and all that’s to come, it's hard to guess whether we’ll come close to reaching just how ripe with good horror movies last year was. I hope that horror continues down the stylistic sensibilities we saw in a lot of the movies from 2022, but overall, I feel a need to highlight the importance of the fun that comes with horror! It’s no secret that horror films do not get a lot of attention from the academy awards. The phrase “elevated horror” has been thrown around a lot, though I feel that this term almost spits in the face of the range of sophistication, complexity, and camp of older horror movies. In turn, there have been many movies that come out that almost try too hard to be high-brow and deep, and fail miserably (director Alex Garland’s Men comes to mind). All in all, horror is a genre that I think should always indulge itself in experimentation , embracing work from big directors like Ari Aster and new up-and-comers like Kyle Ball alike. Horror should never set harsh boundaries, it's a genre that uniquely allows for personal flair and experimentation, and I hope that never ends.
