Spoilers Alert: This post contains spoilers for Skinamarink!
Content Warning: This post discusses child abuse.
In the polarizing Canadian horror film Skinamarink, the narrative can be hard to follow, but one theory suggests that Kevin is in a coma for the entire film. On the surface, Skinamarink is about two children alone in their home with a mysterious entity who toys with their emotions. Due to the experimental nature of the film, trying to distinguish a plot from the film can be challenging. However, there is a hint at the beginning of the film in an off-screen phone conversation.
The children's father is heard on the phone telling someone that Kevin fell down the stairs and hit his head. It is possible that Kevin is in a coma with a head concussion and the entire film takes place inside his head. This means that the audience is placed inside a literal nightmare of a child which helps explain the primal fear that many TikTok s hyped up after Skinamarink's viral leak in July. While some criticize the unclear narrative and unconventional camera angles, others argue that these elements help lull the audience into a state of dread.
Skinamarink Theory: Kevin Fell Into A Coma After His Fall
While the fall isn't shown, the phone conversation with the father sets up the dynamic in the home. His father tells an unknown person that Kevin was sleepwalking and is fine. This means that Kevin's father didn't take him to the hospital or seem too worried that Kevin had a concussion. Kevin likely went to sleep with a head injury and slipped into a coma. When Kevin "wakes up" alone in his home, he sees that the doors and windows are missing, which shows that he is trapped. He is literally trapped in a coma and the rest of the film takes place inside his concussed mind.
What separates Skinamarink from other horror films about kids is how most of the film is shot from a low angle to imitate the perspective of a child. Since the audience is inside Kevin's mind, the house is shown through his mind. Kevin's fathers' unconcerned reaction shows that he is likely a negligent father which means that Kevin doesn't consider his home a safe space. This is reflected in the uneasiness of the shots of the home. In another sinister reading, Kevin's father could've been abusive and pushed him down the stairs. While it seems that in any corner, a monster could be hidden, Kevin could actually be fearing his father.
How Skinamarink's "572 Days" Message s The Coma Theory
Toward the end of the terrifying horror movie, the words "572 days" appear on the screen. This could be the number of days that Kevin is in a coma after his head injury. This means that Kevin is in this coma-induced mental state for well over a year. Through this time, he begins to lose the memory of his sister. In the first half of the film, Kevin's sister Kaylee stays with him as they watch cartoons downstairs. However, at one point, she is lured upstairs by a mysterious voice and does not return. When Kevin goes looking for her, she is missing her mouth. This could mean that Kevin is forgetting the sound of her voice.
One of the reasons that Skinamarink is considered one of the scariest horror films of 2023 is how dedicated the film is to crafting a child's nightmare. Shortly after the message appears, Kevin sees his sister literally fade away from him. His concussed mind loses the memory of his sister as well as other of his family. Towards the end of the film, faces are seen missing from photos in the home which could be people that Kevin's deteriorating mind can't place. Additionally, his toys begin to clump together, and the cartoons begin to skip, which could also signal his mind short-circuiting as he clings to what used to bring him comfort.
Is Kevin Dead At The End Of Skinamarink?
At the end of Skinamarink, a grainy face appears who tells him to "go to sleep" which could mean he is finally free from this torment and his soul will move on to the next world. While it may be sad to think Kevin will die, it is a better fate than being a victim to a nightmare, like Pennywise in IT, any longer. However, he could still be stuck in a coma at the end of the film. One could interpret "go to sleep" as the entity offering the illusion of hope, but in reality, the entity will continue to torture the poor child in his compromised state of mind.
The last line of dialogue is Kevin asking the face "what's your name?" He is met with silence which could mean that Kevin will never get those answers and the likelihood of escaping is futile. Whether the entity is a literal monster in Kevin's mind or a manifestation of his abusive father, Skinamarink is truly a terrifying film about the horrors of being a child. Childhood can be reflected on with nostalgia and happy memories, but for those children who live in abusive homes, it can be a time of unending terror, which Skinamarink depicts with bone-chilling accuracy.
