Title: Skin & Bone (2023)
Director & Writer: Eli Powers
Genre(s): Horror, Short
Duration: 16mins 55sec
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Thomas Sadoski
Christian (Thomas Sadoski), a drifter begins experiencing terrifying visions after he starts working on a secluded farm.
On the surface it seems as this film is about a woman getting revenge on men by turning them into animals; however, a closer inspection reveals that it is a response from trauma experienced as a child.
In the film we see, the farm’s owner, Serene (Amanda Seyfried), singing about a woman who was sexually assaulted by a group of men, and as she’s dying, she puts a curse on her assaulters.
In the next verse, the daughter tries praying to God to save her mother’s life. But with no success she also vows a curse upon the men who took her mother’s life.
Skin & Bone hints at a possibility that the woman in the song could be Serene’s mother who was assaulted, and that Serene witnessed it happening but couldn’t do anything as she was only a child.
As a result of being traumatized, she resorts to luring and turning men into animals.
A poetic depiction on the animalistic behaviour of evil men, in this case, her mother’s assaulters.
But while she may appear justified in her actions, the question of who the antagonist in the story is really comes to light because Christian is not responsible for the death of Serene’s mother.
However, he suffers the same fate as the other men (turned animals) who had been on the farm previously.
The film does not use classic horror techniques such as a jump scare but gives an unsettling vibe almost like a psychological thriller.
If you’re looking to break away from the traditional horror movies, I would recommend you give this movie a watch.