Knives and Skin

Name: Knives and Skin
Genre: Drama
Released: December 6, 2019
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Alex Moss, Anthony Fitzpatrick, Audrey Francis, Claire VanDerLinden, Jalen Gilbert

2019

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Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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Knives and Skin

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Midnight | Release Date: December 6, 2019 | NR

Starring: Alex Moss, Anthony Fitzpatrick, Audrey Francis, Claire VanDerLinden, Jalen Gilbert, James Vincent Meredith, Jessica G. Smith, Kate Arrington, Marika Engelhardt, Marilyn Dodds Frank, Raven Whitley, Robert T. Cunningham, Tim Hopper, Ty Olwin

Summary: What happened to Carolyn Harper? Part suburban nightmare, part neon-soaked teenage fever dream, this tantalizing mystery traces the wave of fear and distrust that spreads across a small Midwestern town in the wake of a high school girl's mysterious disappearance. As the loneliness and darkness lurking beneath the veneer of everyday lifeWhat happened to Carolyn Harper? Part suburban nightmare, part neon-soaked teenage fever dream, this tantalizing mystery traces the wave of fear and distrust that spreads across a small Midwestern town in the wake of a high school girl's mysterious disappearance. As the loneliness and darkness lurking beneath the veneer of everyday life gradually comes to light, a collective awakening seems to overcome the town's teenage girls—gathering in force until it can no longer be contained. [IFC Midnight]… Expand

Director: Jennifer Reeder

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: NR

Runtime: 111 min

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Critic Reviews

100

The Playlist Lena Wilson

Dec 6, 2019

Knives and Skin presents an unsettling mix of girlishness, macabre, sweetness, and despondency best encapsulated in a nail polish color sported by one of the characters: Rotting Corpse. Its humans are alien, its script is bizarre, its visuals are gauche. But this so-wrong-it’s-right feminine dirge puts the “fun” in “funereal.” Read full review

Richard Roeper

Dec 5, 2019

This movie rocks. Read full review

Katie Rife

Jan 3, 2020

Puts a forward-thinking feminist bent on the Riverdale school of neon Twin Peaks fetishism Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Dec 27, 2019

It’s entirely too scattered, sacrificing coherence, loaded down with characters who are more clutter than carriers of plot and substance. Read full review

Ben Kenigsberg

Dec 5, 2019

It is manifestly unfair to compare the work of a near-universally admired auteur to an odd, ambitious independent film, but Knives and Skin owes so much to David Lynch, particularly “Twin Peaks,” that it feels wrong to pretend it exists in a vacuum. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Dec 6, 2019

Like the songs sung by its young cast, Knives and Skin feels like cinematic karaoke, lacking in authorship or deeper meaning. The cast, two actresses in particular, give it their all, but it is an aggressively hollow experience. Read full review

Valerie Complex

Dec 7, 2019

The positive qualities lie in the surrealistic film’s bold cinematography, distinctive use of music, and diversity of cast, though that’s not enough to redeem this tedious viewing experience. Read full review

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Brent_Marchant

Dec 14, 2019

Although somewhat meandering at times, this refreshingly experimental, eloquently metaphorical, profoundly poetic look at the joys and challenges of coming of age in a pervasively dysfunctional world offers a truly original story unlike anything most viewers have probably ever seen. WithAlthough somewhat meandering at times, this refreshingly experimental, eloquently metaphorical, profoundly poetic look at the joys and challenges of coming of age in a pervasively dysfunctional world offers a truly original story unlike anything most viewers have probably ever seen. With nods to the likes of David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson and others, director Jennifer Reeder serves up a frequently absurd, frequently hilarious, but sincerely heartfelt tale about a community of lost souls seeking to find their way with virtually no guidance to help show them the way, save for hard-fought looks within that gradually help them to get a grip on their lives and futures. Exquisitely shot with inventive lighting, striking cinematography, and a production design lavishly peppered with neon and pastels, these elements perfectly complement its razor-sharp script and an atmospheric soundtrack that consists mostly of beautifully performed choral versions of pop songs. This one isn't for everyone, but it surely gives everybody much to ponder -- and an undeniable desire to want to watch it multiple times.… Expand

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