Cold Skin

Hoping for some solitude, weather observer “Friend” (David Oakes) is dropped off on a deserted island. There, he is to take over the post of his predecessor—who reportedly died of typhus—and carry out his solitary measurements. But he is not entirely alone or undisturbed there: The rough-and-tumble lighthouse keeper Gruner (Ray Stevenson) and a whole armada of seemingly bloodthirsty creatures also live on the island. Already on the first night, a brutal attack by the mysterious creatures from the sea takes place. Gruner appears to be hiding a dark secret connected to the nightly raids by these amphibious creatures. A bitter struggle for life, death, and a fateful love ensues... In keeping with the Nietzsche quote that director Xavier Gens prefaces his classic “monster movie” with, the story explores moral degradation, humanity, and the “monster within ourselves.” The production relies heavily on its gloomy, windswept island atmosphere, on the theme of isolation, and the struggle against the unknown. Ray Stevenson as Gruner delivers an intensely raw portrayal of a man who, in the fight against the creatures, gradually becomes a monster himself. David Oakes, as weather observer Friend, is convincing as the moral counterpoint, trying to preserve his humanity. The dynamic between the two men—marked by mistrust, loneliness, violence, and dependence in the face of the forces of nature—is the central driving force of this suspenseful, thought-provoking genre blend.