Knives and Skin is the Best Feminist Fever-Dream You'll Ever Experience

Knives and Skin (2019) is not a film meant to be fully understood. Elements of horror, magical realism, mystery, dark-comedy, musicals, and more unite and offer up an experience like nothing before. Written and directed by Jennifer Reeder, this film follows the aftermath of high schooler Carolyn Harper’s (Raven Whitely) disappearance, displaying the varying effects on people’s lives. Starring a female-led cast, characters deal with grief, identity, relationships, gender, agency, sexuality, stereotypes, clown sex, a fake baby, using vaginas to store (and later trade) sacred knick-knacks, and so much more. A lot is going on in this madhouse of a movie, and it is easy to get distracted by some of the outlandish scenes and elements (like the enlightened talking tiger t-shirt), and lose sight of the heavy themes they signify. Knives and Skin is a weird and wonderful masterpiece that exemplifies the magical depth of human connection and experiences, and reframes the “coming-of-age” ideology - all in a freakishly feminist manner.

The seemingly never-ending collection of bizarre storylines is somewhat reminiscent of those infomercials featuring products that appear too weird to exist, but actually work like a charm. The rapid-fire nature of those commercials usually incite many questions; but, as soon as viewers start to get a grasp on the eccentric display, the host will shout, “But wait - there’s more!” - and there is always more. Although these types of infomercials are a little odd - entertaining and informational nonetheless - Knives and Skin takes that concept of “more” to chaotically beautiful and thought-provoking extremes.

Although some scenes are brow-raising and pause-worthy, this film offers a sense of comfort by maintaining an off-beat and dream-like essence by combining neon lighting with chilling a capella renditions of 80’s pop songs - including The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed,” Modern English’s “I Melt With You,” Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and other hits. The song choices are paired perfectly with the pace of the storyline, adding another layer of depth to the film. Even though this is not actually a musical, elements of musical theatre are evident and important to the plot. The harmonies and renditions of these songs assist in conveying a connection between all of the characters and their individual storylines.

The vast array of characters are people of different ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations. Each character displays some type of brokenness and struggles in one way or another, which establishes a feeling of genuity. No matter what stage of life each character is at, they are all individually (but also collectively) working with what they have and trying to figure things out. This dispels the notion of “coming-of-age,” showing that the cycle of learning, experiencing, and understanding is applicable to all stages of life, and does not stop at a certain age. These aspects create a sense of vulnerability, and humanize the characters in an almost heartbreakingly authentic way. The authenticity they carry helps viewers connect with characters in more ways than one - even during the outlandish scenes. How these components work with each other make for a fever-dream-like feel, with a consistent underlying emphasis on the importance of human connection and energy throughout the film.

The relationship between Carolyn and her mom, Lisa Harper (Marika Engelhardt), and how Lisa deals with the loss of her daughter is expressed in uncomfortably fascinating ways. The film opens with Carolyn’s mother wielding a knife and asking a stream of questions outside of her daughter’s bedroom door. When she does not receive a response, Lisa uses the knife to unlock the door and enter the room, where she proceeds to take a sparkly green dress from Carolyn’s closet. Lisa put it on over her clothes, zipping it up and adjusting the dress to get the best fit possible. Later, Lisa reports Carolyn as missing and is still seen wearing the dress over her outfit, even while showing a police officer around her daughter’s room. These are some of the first hints of what type of relationship Carolyn and her mother have. The use of the color green, which is commonly associated with feelings of jealousy and envy, ties into how Lisa copes and grieves over the loss of her daughter. It is important to note that Lisa’s way of dealing with Carolyn’s disappearance is not solely fueled by jealousy, but by a collection of things, and that provides some insight into why she behaves the way she does.

Knives and Skin displays different issues commonly faced by women and girls in a wacky yet insightful manner. Whether those instances are exhibited from someone who identifies as female, or coming from male or non-binary characters, this film does an outstanding job of illustrating these occurrences. In one example of this, themes of slut-shaming and stereotyping are evident in a conversation had by two high school girls. The scene demonstrates how women and girls are often reduced to one of two things, with one character saying, “Well, if you aren’t a cunty slut and you aren’t a bitchy tease then what are you?”. In response, the friend proclaims that she is neither of those, but she is “nothing.” After a short pause, her friend replies with, “Yeah, me too.” The detriments of reducing someone to a category - a false stereotypical one at that - strips said person of their identity and any opportunity to be more than that preconceived concept.

There is no one genre or category to place this film - elements of horror, mystery, musical theatre, and more are all present. The fact of the matter is that this movie exhibits a little bit of everything. This poses the question - how do you categorize everything? The first inclination would be to separate different themes, motifs, characters, etc. But what happens when they overlap, and cannot exist without each other? An example of this is the intertwinement of magical realism and Carolyn - from her glowing glasses to her glistening gash - add to the foundation of the plot. Those aspects, among others, help connect characters and their stories, and move them forward.

This film carries a strong sense of ambiguity throughout its course. There is a massive gap between what the audience is explicitly shown, and what is left open to interpretation. The countless questions left unanswered, and the slew of new ones formed, can possibly lead the mind down the dangerous road of assumption. The ambiguous nature of Knives and Skin forces viewers to sit with the many feelings that coincide with not knowing - a few being discomfort, confusion, and the need to know more. We (the audience) are left with the desire to have all of the missing puzzle pieces, borderline feeling like we have the right to know. In actuality, there is nothing that could justify the greedy need to know every gory detail of the traumas and struggles faced by others.

Every facet of Knives and Skin is bold and unconventional - everything from the way it takes a stab at stereotypes, to the utilization of 80’s pop songs. There are numerous aspects of this film that were not mentioned or discussed, but that does not lessen the immense value each one holds. Knives and Skin teaches us that we do not have to know and understand everything - or “more” - we can simply just experience it. Additionally, we are shown that “coming-of-age” is a lifelong journey; we are forever learning, growing, and connecting with each other - alive or dead.