A mystical teen noir that follows a young girl's disappearance in the rural Midwest and its effect on teens and parents.... (Full plot summary below)
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A mystical teen noir that follows a young girl's disappearance in the rural Midwest and its effect on teens and parents.
Leave your thoughts about Knives and Skin.
| The PlaylistLena WilsonKnives 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.” |
| The A.V. ClubKatie RifePuts a forward-thinking feminist bent on the Riverdale school of neon Twin Peaks fetishism |
| Los Angeles TimesJen YamatoAwash in Christopher Rejano’s neon-hued cinematography and punctuated by Nick Zinner’s eerie synth soundscapes, Reeder’s meandering tale is a fever dream of ideas. |
| Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsA different editing rhythm (and a less narcotic musical score) would substantially change the personality of this movie, for better or worse. |
| Movie NationRoger MooreIt’s entirely too scattered, sacrificing coherence, loaded down with characters who are more clutter than carriers of plot and substance. |
| Slant MagazineSteven ScaifeThe film gets so lost in its affected idiosyncrasies that it stops probing any discernible human feelings. |
| The New York TimesBen KenigsbergIt 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. |
| RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoLike 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. |
| VarietyValerie ComplexThe 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. |
| User ReviewBrent_MarchantAlthough 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. |
