Where the Skin Lies Review: Tattoos become deadly in first-time director Michaël Boucherie’s Frightfest offering, Where the Skin Lies.
Where the Skin Lies Review
Where the Skin Lies screened at Frightfest 2017 as part of the 1st Blood programme. The programme, which began in 2016, celebrates first-time filmmakers as they unveil the result of their blood, sweat and tears. Directed by Michaël Boucherie, who has previously worked prominently within the world of shorts, shows a lot of promise with Where the Skin Lies.
A group of six meet in the Scottish Lowlands for the anniversary of their meeting. The group were thrown together during a hostage situation and have spent the last year in group therapy, trying to come to terms with what they collectively experienced. To commemorate the event, each has secretly gotten a memorial tattoo from the same artist, but it soon becomes apparent that something isn’t quite right with their new ink. Cracks then start to form within the group as they battle to survive the night.
Where the Skin Lies Review
There’s a sound idea at the heart of Where the Skin Lies, but sadly the characters make too many leaps of logic and the audience is left a little confused as to how they’ve arrived at their conclusions. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to not spend half of the run time listening to people scream and cry over confusion about what is happening, but here things are the polar opposite. Within minutes the group have worked out what’s happening, despite them not really thinking it through. It’s a massive and implausible jump of logic considering it’s not a rational and common thing that is occurring.
The direction is nice and the film is paced well. There’s also a lovely, squirm-inducing moment as one of the team attempts to get rid of their (potentially) hexed tattoo. Boucherie does enough to justify a future in directing, he handles the subject matter admirably, and manages to steer clear of several tropes. The film could all to easily have fallen into silliness, but Boucherie keeps a tight hand on the reigns. Were the few plot-leap niggles to be addressed, Where the Skin Lies could be something very special. As it stands, it just falls short of it’s mark.
Where the Skin Lies review by Kat Hughes, September 2017.
Where the Skin Lies screened as part of the Horror Channel Frighfest 2017 programme.
