Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. A film by Kyle Edward Ball, starring Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul, and Jaime Hill.

Deep in the night, four-year-old Kevin navigates the dark house, searching for someone. The camera lingers on the shadowy staircase as Kevin’s voice, small and clear, counts, “One, two, three…” A muffled thump echoes, followed by the unmistakable wail of a child. Panic flickers in the darkness as a lamp illuminates the scene. The crying intensifies as adult’s frantic footsteps race towards the heart-wrenching sound. A door slams shut, followed by the fading rumble of a car engine, presumably Kevin’s parents whisking him away to the hospital. The screen fades to black.

The camera pans through the empty house, landing on the television. It flickers to life, its screen a blank white canvas. As the camera draws closer, the muffled strains of cartoon music filter from the speaker. But the melody cuts out abruptly, replaced by the sudden darkness of the screen. We hear the creak of the front door opening, followed by footsteps padding through the house. The family must have just returned from the hospital.

Moments later, a father’s voice echoes, calling for his six-year-old daughter, Kaylee. Then, the insistent dial tone of a phone cuts through the silence. The father speaks, informing someone of Kevin’s fall down the stairs and the bump on his head. He also mentions that Kaylee told him that Kevin was sleepwalking. The screen fades to black once more.

Kaylee jolts awake in the dead of night. She pads down the hallway, drawn to an unsettling silence in her parents’ room, only to discover that her father is not there. We learn that their mother may no longer live in this house, since she only calls for father. Sensing something’s wrong, she heads to Kevin’s room to wake him up.

Together, they stumble through the darkened house. Every window they pass is gone, replaced by smooth, impenetrable walls. Even the front door, once a familiar gateway to their world, has vanished, leaving behind a seamless expanse of brick. Panic rises in their throats as they call out for their father, but only silence echoes back. He’s gone. Vanished without a trace, leaving them adrift in a house that no longer feels like home. Kaylee attempts to call 911, but the phone isn’t working.

Kevin suggests they bunk downstairs tonight, where old cartoons flicker on the TV like forgotten dreams. He tells Kaylee he can’t sleep with the lights on, so Kaylee turns them off. Moments later, a hushed “Why is Mom crying?” floats from Kaylee. Then, a sudden thumping from upstairs startles them both. They find a chair inexplicably perched upside down on the ceiling. Kaylee suggests they stay quiet. Kevin asks where Dad is, wondering if he’s with Mom. Kaylee simply replies that she doesn’t know where dad is, and she doesn’t want to talk about mom. We can only assume something serious has happened to their mother, whether a separation or something more permanent.

Canadian filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball makes his feature directorial debut with SKINAMARINK, a supernatural horror film that demands patience from viewers. The film intentionally leaves much unexplained, inviting interpretation without ever revealing the true nature of the horrors within the house. This ambiguity, while intriguing, can feel excessive at times, leaving viewers straining to decipher clues in the darkness.

The camera lingers, often fixated on empty shadows, building anticipation for a jump scare that never materializes. Yet, amidst this frustrating absence, the film unleashes a truly chilling moment when least expected, proving its power to unsettle even in the quietest corners. Ultimately, SKINAMARINK thrives on its nightmarish imagery, its meaning shifting and morphing based on individual viewers’ experiences.

While the subtitles sometimes feel redundant, popping up without context and interrupting the flow, their presence is understandable given the muffled and occasionally inaudible dialogue in certain scenes.

SKINAMARINK was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on 13 January 2023, by IFC Midnight. The film defied its modest budget of $15,000 to become a box office success, grossing over $2 million. It later became available on Shudder on 2 February.