Splitting hairs both morally and literally, “Skinwalkers,” the latest human-inhuman hybrid movie, pits good werewolves against bad — even if the distinction is fuzzier than their hides.
To assist our separation of friend and fang, the good guys wear J. Crew, while the bad apparently order from the Frederick’s of Hollywood bondage collection. While the first group longs to evict the wolf within, the second sees no reason to give up its monthly trip to the human buffet.
Everything hinges on a 12-year-old asthmatic named Timothy (Matthew Knight), a “half-blood” whose human single mother, Rachel (Rhona Mitra), clearly hit the jackpot for unhealthy relationship choices. Should Timothy survive his 13th birthday — well, the writers aren’t quite sure, but it could be bad. Or perhaps not.
Yawningly directed by Jim Isaac, “Skinwalkers” is a slavering mess that buries its clunky addiction metaphor beneath a welter of genre clichés, all delivered in extra-slow motion. Surpassingly ugly — every frame appears to have been marinated in ditch water, then dragged through a thicket — and with a soundtrack that suggests feeding time at the pound, the movie strains for terror and achieves only confusion.
“I don’t have a beast inside of me,” whimpers Rachel on being instructed to toughen up. Sadly, neither does the movie.
“Skinwalkers” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It has lupine sex, cross-species rape and female crucifixion.
SKINWALKERS
Opened yesterday nationwide.
Directed by Jim Isaac; written by James DeMonaco, James Roday and Todd Harthan; edited by Allan Lee; production designer, David Hackl ; creature effects by Stan Winston; produced by Don Carmody, Dennis Berardi and Brian Gilbert; released by After Dark Films. Running time: 110 minutes.
WITH: Jason Behr (Varek), Elias Koteas (Jonas), Rhona Mitra (Rachel), Kim Coates (Zo), Natassia Malthe (Sonja), Matthew Knight (Timothy), Sarah Carter (Katherine), Lyriq Bent (Doak), Tom Jackson (Will), Rogue Johnston (Grenier), Shawn Roberts (Adam) and Barbara Gordon (Nana).
