‘You can hide, but you can’t run.’
Winterskin is a 2018 British horror film written, produced and directed by Charlie Steeds (The Barge People; House of Violent Desire; Escape from Cannibal Farm).
The Dark Temple Motion Pictures production stars David Lenik, Rowena Bentley, Barrington De La Roche and Peter Cosgrove.
Plot:
Whilst hunting in the snowy wilderness, Billy (David Lenik) takes refuge in a seemingly abandoned log cabin when he suffers a shotgun wound to the leg. Inside, kind and kooky lone inhabitant, old lady Agnes (Rowena Bentley), is keen to nurse Billy back to health.
However, Billy soon learns this is no ordinary cabin, for he and Agnes are stalked by bloodthirsty skinless creatures that lurk in the surrounding forest, leaving them trapped together inside the cabin in a fight to stay alive…
Reviews:
“I enjoyed the film, as it’s a throwback to 80’s video store rental fare. The FX are solid, with plenty of gushing over the top gore. I just wish some of the outside shots had the same care as the inside ones, but that’s a minor quibble.” B&A About Movies
“While Winterskin is rather talky – Agnes gets a lot of script to herself but Bentley never lets her character – or her American accent – drop, this is a movie worth catching for the final fifteen minutes, a triumph of well-choreographed action and nail-biting suspense. It also has a lot of dark humour as well…” Bloody Flicks
“Winterskin is an interesting little horror film with some good ideas, but is hit and miss on their execution. The setting, characters, and tone will draw viewers in right away, but it does lose steam in the third act. This world is scary and dangerous, and that is all the more reason why the unexplored evil is disappointing.” Cryptic Rock
“It’s equal parts a horror film and a violent thriller, and the two were paired together nicely[…] Winterskin is canvas of blood splatters and a non-stop action assault. It’s just that it’s not polished enough and, in my opinion, never came to fruition for what it was supposed to be.” Horror Society
” …above average indie horror fare. The visuals and the score really worked well together in achieving a genuinely spooky atmosphere. This atmosphere combined with an entertaining plot with some twists really made Winterskin and enjoyable watch.” The Horror Syndicate
“Steeds’ film is packed with buckets of blood and grue, gloriously maniacal performances (of which actress and co-lead Rowena Bentley is the queen of) and a soundtrack that goes from Carpenter-esque synth to overwrought giallo-inspired insanity. It all builds into a tremendously, gloriously over the top conclusion…” Nerdly
“Basically a two-hander with a few secondary characters, Winterskin depends heavily on the performances by Lenik and Bentley. Both give solid turns, with Bentley walking the fine line between a strong portrayal of a madwoman and scenery chewing. Lenik nails the confused, frightened Billy.” Scariest Things
“Winterskin, even with its share of flaws, is a good movie. The dialogue can be too much for some people, but the plot and twists compensate for this. In the same way, the production flaws end up balanced by all it does well and ends up being a decent and entertaining product that deserves to be given a chance.” 10th Circle
Release:
Winterskin was released on Digital by High Octane Pictures on May 21, 2019.
Cast and characters:
David Lenik … Billy Cavanagh
Rowena Bentley … Agnes
Barrington De La Roche … Old Thin Ruth
John Lomas … John Carver
Kate Davies-Speake… Lillian Carver
Dylan Curtis … Little Danny Carver
Harrison Nash … George Carver
Peter Cosgrove … Russell Cavanagh
Swainley Whipps Eden-Entwistle … Chuck
Daniel McKee … The Red Man
Richard Myers … Pete
Technical details:
1 hour 24 minutes
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