Pop Skull


Pop Skull is a 2007 American film directed, and edited by Adam Wingard, who the screenplay with Lane Hughes and E. L. Katz. It stars Hughes, Katz, and Wingard. It is primarily regarded as a horror film but has been noted for incorporating elements of genres such as drama, psychedelic, romance, and thriller.

Premise

Daniel, a young pill addict living in Alabama, finds that his attempts to cope with his trials collide with the increasing influence of the murderous and displaced spirits that inhabit his home.

Cast

In 2003, Wingard approached Hughes with the idea of making a film about a recent breakup. They conceived the film as psychedelic, horror, and romance" and made it on an extremely low budget of $2,000.

Release

Pop Skull screened at the Rome Film Festival, American Film Institute's AFI Fest, and the New Zealand International Film Festival.

Reception

Reviews were generally mixed to positive. LA Splash said Hughes gave "a truly magnetic Manson vibe the entire time" which allowed Wingard "to make great use of the extreme close-up". Filmmaker Stephen Susco remarked that it was "unlike any horror film you've ever seenor will ever see", while Variety called it "powerful" and suggested it created a new genre called "acid horror". The film won the jury award at the Boston [Underground Film Festival] and the Grand Jury Prize at the Indianapolis International Film Festival.