Slink (2013)
Directed by Jared Masters · 2013 · Julia Faye West, Danika Galindo, Art Roberts, Dawna Lee Heising, Anthony Del Negro
In the rural town of Wickenhaven, Jared Masters’ 2013 horror-thriller Slink unfolds with a quiet, creeping dread rooted in real-world unease. The film centers on a psychotic tanning salon owner whose sinister acts lead to the disappearances of multiple young girls — crimes met with chilling complicity by his wife, an exotic purse designer who chooses willful ignorance over moral confrontation. The tone is deliberately subdued, favoring atmospheric tension over sensationalism, evoking the slow-burn dread of 1970s American indie horror and the psychological unease of rural noir. With a runtime of just 80 minutes, Slink doesn’t rely on jump scares or elaborate set pieces; instead, it lingers in the mundane spaces where evil hides in plain sight — the fluorescent glow of a tanning bed, the quiet hum of a sewing machine. Julia Faye West and Danika Galindo anchor the film with restrained, haunting performances, embodying the terrifying normalcy of complicity. Art Roberts, Dawna Lee Heising, and the supporting cast amplify the film’s claustrophobic realism. Slink suits viewers who crave slow-burning psychological horror, where the monster isn’t a specter but a neighbor, and the true horror lies in silence and denial. It’s a film for audiences who find terror not in the scream, but in the shrug.
Why it’s worth watching
Slink (2013) stands out as a stark, underseen gem in the rural horror canon, anchored by authentic performances and a narrative that refuses to sensationalize evil. Director Jared Masters crafts a chilling portrait of moral apathy, where the real villain isn’t just the tanning salon owner, but the wife who looks away. With a lean 80-minute runtime and no filler, the film delivers focused, unsettling atmosphere. Its grounded tone and lack of supernatural elements make its horror feel disturbingly plausible. For fans of slow-burn thrillers like The Witch or Winter’s Bone, Slink offers a raw, unflinching look at complicity in small-town America — a rare, authentic entry in 2010s indie horror.
Trivia
- Directed by Jared Masters
- Released in 2013
- Runtime: 80 minutes
- Starring Julia Faye West, Danika Galindo, Art Roberts, Dawna Lee Heising, Anthony Del Negro, Jacqueline Larsen, Jade Bryce, Mariella Jacqueline, Marylyn Brooks
- Genres: Horror, Thriller