Reviews
Skin Walker | Review
The Skin I Don’t Live In: Neuman Prepares a Fractured Affair in Disjointed Debut
Another tale of a protagonist returning to her childhood home (which Thomas Wolfe perhaps should have phrased one “shouldn’t” rather than “can’t” go home again) to rehash significant trauma and dysfunction, DP Amandine Klee makes excellent use of the Luxembourg and Belgian locales. Even some of the film’s editing choices work in its favor, but an increasing dependence on fluctuating, evolving flashbacks, although establishing Regine’s mental state as suspect, makes for a muddled hodgepodge which derails the tension of what is or isn’t going on at home with Udo Kier.
As for Kier, who provides his peculiar brand of acting which works quite well with bizarre narratives of mental imbalance and discord, fans of the German cult icon won’t necessarily be disappointed. Apologies to a ferret and an animal carving scene which recalls the anguish of Joan Crawford vs. George Kennedy in William Castle’s Strait-Jacket (1964) play quite effectively.
Although Amber Anderson feels left adrift by Neuman’s direction and a third act creature sails this into Brothers Grimm. territory, she’s a striking presence and turns in a performance which deserves a better coffin. A title referring to the term for a shape shifting witch from the Navajo seems a bit misleading based on what Neuman’s put together.
★½/☆☆☆☆☆