“Skin Deep” is a 10-minute short written and directed by Abby Alleyne Brooke that offers a salty taste of old-world horror. It’s taut, simple, and efficient. You won’t find cheap jump scares or jarring sounds. Instead, you’ll watch with goosebumps dotting your nape and a desire for more.
Marnie seems like a typical teenager. She’s self-conscious about her appearance as she applies makeup and stares solemnly at her reflection. As Marnie is preparing for a date with Leo, Kaia offers words of encouragement. There are only three scenes. Pre-Date, Date, Post-Date. Seems simple enough.
Excellent Filming
Abby Alleyne Brooke can somehow draw extreme tension from the mundane. As Marnie (Lillian Bornstein) is getting ready, I instinctively felt sympathy for the character. Maybe she’s shy or socially awkward. She likes a guy but feels he only wants to be friends. Something I have watched countless times before.
Perhaps Leo (Henry Sheeran) is more interested in Kaia (Natalie Shinnick) who is presented as classically beautiful. The initial scene is framed perfectly to keep the audience guessing. Maybe it’s all in Marnie’s mind. Or maybe her jealousy will escalate to something extreme.
Ominous Setting
The story takes place in a coastal resort town. My guess was Cape Cod, but I can’t be certain. Wherever the setting, the scenery is gorgeous. It’s the end of summer, and Marnie and Leo have spent two months together. With Marnie set to leave in the morning, this may be the last time they have to share. The date scene is perfectly organic. The awkward dialogue, the skipping of shells across the water, Leo’s nervous attempts at flirting. It’s all believable and all performances are strong. Abby Alleyne Brooke shows how to do horror and will hopefully continue with the genre.
The gloomy weather and the loneliness of a beach at the end of summer. There’s nothing more beautifully bleak than a chilly empty beach. Gauche banter between Marnie and Kaia and Marnie and Leo. Excellent makeup that offers a subtle tease.
To explain too much would reveal too much. “Skin Deep” is an exercise in the slow burn, with a revelation that’s not what you’d expect. It’s an excellent horror film that makes the most of its short duration. A great warmup for the fast-approaching horror movie season.
“Skin Deep” can be found here: https://laundrydayproductions.com/skindeep
