Based on real events, Skin tells the tragic tale of 18-year-old Frankie Epstein, the son of a traumatised Holocaust survivor. Set in Holland in the late 70’s, Frankie’s mother and uncle try desperately to repair the fractured relationship between father and son. But when his mother is hospitalised with a serious illness, Frankie and his estranged father drift even further apart.
Unable to communicate with his father and seeking refuge from a difficult home life, Frankie finds himself drawn to a group of neo-Nazi skinheads. His new acquaintances offer him a new-found sense of belonging and recognition. And once he has his head shaved, Frankie finally feels he’s discarded his old identity and acquired a new one.
But this new identity comes at a price. Increasingly alienated from his family, Frankie struggles to come to terms with his anger until one night he’s involved in a dangerous fight with tragic consequences.
It’s easy to see why Skin has drawn favourable comparisons to the likes of This is England, not least because of the sinister society each piece probes. Grim and rich at the same time, Skin’s production design seems incredibly authentic, but doesn’t alienate the contemporary viewer. A lot of this is undoubtedly down to its Dutch heritage, meaning we don’t get distracted by cultural references, instead keeping the focus squarely on the central struggle of Frankie.
Nominated for an Emmy award for his portrayal of Frankie, Robert de Hoog is incredibly engaging throughout. His descent from awkward teen to dangerous skinhead is both believable and enthralling. His difficult relationships with both parents are key to making Frankie an endearing character, despite his faults. His traumatised father’s deteriorating mental state is examined through a series of worrying episodes that are evidently taking their toll on the youngster’s own mental state, while his ailing mother’s deteriorating health is the last big push that steers Frankie towards the sinister skinhead crew who lead him down darker paths.
Sylvia Poorta turns in a particularly memorable role as Anna, Frankie’s sickly mother, bringing plenty of subtle shades to her character. Patient, at times playful and quite clearly the glue that binds the estranged family together; her inevitable turn for the worse is an event that’ll shake the audience to core, let alone the character of Frankie. John Buijsman is equally impressive as Frankie’s father, Simon; likewise tackling a difficult role with a great deal of subtlety, showing us a man slowly unfolding rather than imploding all at once.
But it’s Hanro Smitsman’s direction that ties all these pieces together. Masterfully recreating a not too distant past, the grim and grainy world of Skin seems almost tangible. Domestic scenes are handled with the right amount of restraint, the many episodes to Simon’s mental breakdown handled with subtlety, while the more violent encounters that mark Frankie’s arrival into a dreadful subculture are treated with harsh, uncompromising brutality that are rightfully called for.
Overall Verdict: A brave, uncompromising picture that shines a harsh light upon a dreadful subculture; Skin still finds the time to dig beneath its characters’ surfaces and explore their hidden depths in staggering detail.
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Reviewer: David Steele