Skew (2010)

Simon, Rich, and Eva head out on a road trip to attend a friend's wedding with Simon's brand new video camera in hand. The trio of friends start out having a great time on their midsummer escape with plenty of laughs and a cooler of beer to keep them busy. The trip slowly starts to descend into anger and paranoia as a series of tragic events seemingly centered around Simon's camera derail the fun and reality comes crashing down.



Just moments into SKEW and I couldn't help but think "another found footage movie?". It is quickly becoming a cliche within the horror genre and is quickly becoming something I don't particularly look forward too as it is rarely handled with skill. I then immediately remembered that this production on this film began in 2005, before this style of film making had flooded the market. Luckily for us director Seve Schelenz handles the Verite style mostly with grace. There are a few moments that could have been more effective had the style not been used so much in the editing of the film, I'm speaking of one scene in particular towards the end of the film where it was unnecessary. These moments are few and far between and the principal cast does a nice job with making it seem real.



The similarities between SKEW and The Blair Witch Project are painfully obvious from the trio of young adults, 2 male and 1 female to many of the shots being very reminiscent of the 1999 cult hit. While SKEW trades the woods of my native Maryland for a Canadian road trip, mainly confined to the inside of a Jeep or hotel room, they play out largely the same, exchanging a folk lore witch for a deadly video camera. Take from that comparison what you will, but SKEW does stand on it's own feet.

While I could go on and on about the comparisons to other films, this is a film that shows promise for a new director and a film that is largely successful at what it set out to do within the limitations of a $25,000 budget.

7/10