Controversial 2023 Horror Movie Now Streaming on Hulu

One of 2023's most controversial horror movies is now streaming on Hulu. Kyle Edward Ball's experimental supernatural horror film Skinamarink is now streaming on the platform, nearly seven months after its North American box office release in January 2023. The film had previously streamed on Shudder earlier this year. In Skinamarink, two kids find themselves alone in their home with no parents in sight in the middle of the night trapped by an unseen force that has somehow removed the windows and doors from the home. The unusual film did very well with critics, but the controversy comes in because many audiences just don't agree.

Many audiences found Skinamarink to be more "boring" than scary, with some audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes decrying the film for having "no plot" and being tedious with no payoff. Critics were kinder. The film presently has a 72 percent Fresh approval rating on the review aggregate site with the critical consensus reading: "Skinamarink can be more confounding than frightening, but for viewers able or willing to dial into its unique wavelength, this unsettling film will be difficult to shake."

What Is The Meaning of Skinamarink?

Earlier this year, Ball spoke with Inverse about some of the film's meanings.

I've had people DM me like, "What? So, what is this?"' Also, it doesn't matter what I think anymore. Now it's your movie. When I was shooting and editing it, I was like, "This is how I want the viewer to feel." It's been so amazing seeing people actually feel the way I planned it.

Skinamarink Was Almost Derailed by Piracy

After a successful debut at Fantasia Film Festival in 2022, Shudder picked up the film for a brief theatrical release before sending it to stream on the horror streaming service. However, soon after, hackers downloaded the film and others from a European genre festival and uploaded them to YouTube. Skinamarink went viral, but for a moment, Ball though it was all going to fall apart.

I was terrified," Ball told Vulture. "I felt like I won the lottery, then it was like, 'Maybe you didn't win the lottery. You'll find out in a couple of months.'"

Ultimately, Shudder didn't back out of anything, they simply moved up the film's release date from October 2023 to January.

What Else Is Now Streaming on Hulu?

Skinamarink isn't the only movie that is finally streaming on Hulu this month. The fan-favorite comedy film Game Night is also on Hulu. Starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, Game Night follows a married couple as they battle criminals across the city as part of a game night gone awry. The film was popular with both fans and critics alike when it was originally released in 2018.

Will you be checking out Skinamarink on Hulu? Let us know in the comment section.