BARE SKIN (2026)

3 stars

Miracle Media. Digital. 23rd February

Several people arrive at a fancy building and head to one room – they are there for a group session to discuss their various traumas with Dr Hedonia (Rachel Alig). There’s the seemingly together Lenny (Torres B. Lawrence), nerdy Dev (Ryan Wayne), Claire (Ariana Livingston) who doesn’t initially speak but writes everything in a notebook, Oday (Alberto Henriquez) and October (Gabrielle Salinger). They are all there to share their stories – because they all need therapy to get over something that has happened in their past.

As each unloads in turn we are presented with their tales – as this is basically an anthology film. There are rules to abide to as they spill their guts. The parameters are: 1. Stay in your seat. 2. No touching. 3. Group therapy functions as a family unit. 4. Do not communicate outside of the group 5. Anonymity. First names only. 6. Cell phones on silent. No interruptions.

We have one who saw his house burn down but then turned into a pyro. One that saw her husband being tortured by a woman in rubber clothes and a mask. Another was in the woods with a couple of friends and attacked by a strange man playing a violin, who had a razor blade on the end of his bow. Add to this one of the patients ended up kidnapped and trapped at the bottom of a well. Finally, there is a the story of a neighbour visiting which doesn’t end well.

The ending to the movie is… interesting.

At nearly two and a half hours this is way too long and being a multi part anthology some of the tales are better than others, though none are really that thrilling. Also with this kind of lower budget affair the acting is what might be termed variable. Having said that Writer/Director Mico Montes tries to make things creepy and infers more is going on than what actually transpires. It is well lit and shot by Max Goldberg. The whole thing feels drawn out and a touch pretentious.

Steve Kirkham