Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Cold Skin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 24, 2018

Last year, Guillermo del Toro won an Academy Award for “The Shape of Water,” which depicted a loving, sexual relationship between a mute woman and humanoid amphibian. This year, director Xavier Gens drinks from the same creative well, only his “Cold Skin” showcases a more mysterious love triangle between two salty men and the female humanoid amphibian they both strive to possess. Gens doesn’t share del Toro’s love of fantasy and textures, but he does offer intermittent intensity with his latest, which is just strange enough to pass, finding oddity often competing for scene attention with overblown dramatics. “Cold Skin” struggles to maintain pace and surprise, but Gens has the right idea more often than not, staying true to an operatic take on man vs. nature, creating something that’s better with the dark and violent stuff than anything psychologically profound.

It’s 1914, and Friend (David Oakes) has volunteered to be sent to a remote area to take over weather tracking duties, situating himself on a seemingly uninhabited island. In a nearby lighthouse, Gruner (Ray Stevenson) keeps command, having lost his sanity long ago, creating a fortress out of his home, and for a good reason. While Friend attempts to settle into his new surroundings, he discovers the island is home to “toads,” or humanoid amphibians who routinely attack the lighthouse, soon destroying Friend’s cabin in the night. Taking refuge with Gruner, who has no patience for others, Friend is introduced to Aneris (Aura Garrido), a toad who’s been domesticated by the crusty man, turned into a pet and occasional sex partner. Unsure how to deal with Gruner’s dissolving mind, Friend still requires his survival skills, with the pair spending their days debating humanity and their nights defending the lighthouse from toad attacks.

“Cold Skin” is based on a popular 2002 novel by Albert Sanchez Pinol, and the picture retains a great deal of literary influence. Screenwriters Jesus Olmo and Eron Sheean treat the material as a dark fairy tale in a way, following Friend as he hopes to separate himself from the rest of the world by taking a job as a weather tracker on a remote island he soon learns isn’t even on commercial shipping routes. He’s escaping from his life, giving himself a year to figure things out, learning little about his predecessor from Gruner, who claims illness took the man’s life. Friend’s dramatic arc highlights the nobleman receiving a prime education on the ways of savagery, soon forced to join Gruner in the lighthouse after exposure to the toads and their swarming style of attack, testing his survival instincts and piquing his curiosity. Gens retains the page-turning feel of the source material, advancing Friend’s awareness carefully, which also includes his introduction to Aneris, a blue-skinned fishwoman who’s strangely loyal to Gruner, and also provides something of a warning system with her guttural cries as the toads emerge from the depths to try their luck at taking the lighthouse.

“Cold Skin” is primarily a siege movie, with many scenes showcasing Gruner’s plans of defense, blasting away at the toads as they climb the lighthouse, taking out the rest with knives during close-quarters combat. Friend discovers plenty about himself during this bloody introductory process, trying to become a trained killer of toads, but he finds himself utterly curious about their existence, entering an uneasy cohabitation period with Gruner and Aneris, who’s subjected to the grizzled resident’s sexual needs. “Cold Skin” handles simmering hostilities well, and moments with the trio are compelling, with Gens lingering on Friend’s observational habits, adding a dollop of sensuality as well once Friend considers his own pass at Aneris (Garrido delivers an outstanding, full-body performance as the confused creature). Jealousies eventually break the stillness of the passing seasons, leading to a suspenseful sequence where Friend uses suffocating deep-sea diving gear to dig up additional firepower near a shipwreck, while Gruner considers if he should even bother to bring the young man back up from the depths.

Cold Skin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While "Cold Skin" is a beautifully shot picture, the AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation has difficulty preserving the integrity of the original cinematography. Artifacting is common, with moments of banding and posturization present during the viewing experience, and underwater moments encourage mild macroblocking. Black levels are uneven as well, with some inky goodness balanced with milkier levels, which flattens imagery. When fully illuminated by beaming sunlight, the frame has the potential to produce excellent detail, picking up on the hairy gruffness of the human characters and their overall physical decay, while the toads keep their alien appearance, permitting study of make-up triumphs and non-verbal communication. Colors are appealing, securing the duller greenish-grays of toad skin and the warmer appearance of the men, and locations maintain natural beauty, examining unique greenery and blue waters, while set ornamentation adds varied paint jobs. Fire also keeps a bright orange glow.

Cold Skin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a superbly active affair that makes sure to keep the listener involved in the unfolding action. Surrounds are active throughout, with sharp separation for close-quarters hunting, while a bigger feel for ocean movement maintains authority, delivering an evocative understanding of the lay of the land. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, offering a tight read of panicked communication and intimate time during the day. Performances are also defined well, not overwhelmed by atmospherics. Low-end carries heaviness, detailing explosions and floorboard rumbling. Scoring is rich and clean, supported by intricate instrumentation.

Cold Skin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (28:25, HD) is a refreshingly in-depth discussion of the "Cold Skin" shoot, and while the run time doesn't reflect extended analysis, the featurette manages to cover plenty of ground concerning the creation of the picture. Patience is the key word for the film, with producers acquiring the rights to the novel before spending a decade developing the script, keeping an eye on thematic power while shaping the adaptation. BTS footage is present, grasping actual on-set labor and leisure (it's strange to see the toads lounging between shots, wearing sunglasses), and films clips provide evidence of intent. The mini-documentary takes a look at individual departments, covering locations on the Canary Islands, set design, scoring efforts, and stunts, but perhaps the most interesting stops on the tour belong to CGI (which turned a dry set into an underwater mission) and make-up, with Garrido sharing the focus required to become a toad. Interviews with cast and crew guide the overview of technical achievements.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:47, HD) is included.

Cold Skin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Cold Skin" loses tension when it tries to hammer home ideas on the inhumanity of man, adding touches of colonialism to Gruner's quest for power on the island, and debates on true villainy in this particular situation are best left unsaid. Gans likes to underline but he doesn't need it, as the picture does just fine with cinematic storytelling, with elements of kink and infatuation keeping the viewing experience alive, while battle sequences are hypnotically chaotic. "Cold Skin" has similarities to "The Shape of Water," and the two movies would make a neat double feature one day, highlighting a loopy film year where two directors really wanted to explore the highs and lows of humans having relationships with fishpeople.