Skinwalkers (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Chris Eyre

Writer (WGA):

James Redford (written by)

Release Date:

24 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

The story revolves around the legend of the skin walkers or "S Dubs", a folk legend from Utah about the spirits of murdered Indians returning to seek revenge upon those who disrespect the land.

Plot Keywords:

Utah | Native American

Cast

Harrison Lowe	...	Roman George
James Dalgam	...	Bister
Adam Beach	...	Jim Chee
Saginaw Grant	...	Wilson Sam
Nicholas Bartolo	...	Tommy Nakai
Jon Proudstar	...	Davis Nakai
Misty Upham	...	Nina
Drew Lacafa	...	Bobby
Sheila Tousey	...	Emma Leaphorn
Wes Studi	...	Lt. Joe Leaphorn
Apesanahkwat	...	Capt. Butler
Marla Finn	...	German woman
Michael Greyeyes	...	Dr. Stone
Ryan Polequaptewa	...	Lonnie Mack
Noah Watts	...	Ruben Maze

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Company:

Carlton International Media

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The knife found in Chee's tire is held in place by grey putty, clearly seen and covering the tire tread.

Quotes:

Jim Chee: I don't see how I can do this.
Wilson Sam: Do what?
Jim Chee: This case. It's too much.
Wilson Sam: Wrong, Jim. Cop, medicine man, garbage man... No matter who you are, the dark wind blows on everyone, Jim. You just have to push yourself through it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Coyote Waits (2003) (TV)

Skinwalkers

Skinwalkers is the first film featuring Native American police officers Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, who are responsible for officiating crime on a Navajo Reservation.

A Skinwalker is a sorcerer or witch that takes animal form, and commits terrible crimes, including murder. Traditionally, Navajos never say the word Skinwalker, for fear that a Skinwalker will take their life. Skinwalkers practice "bad medicine".

In Skinwalkers, a Native American Medicine Man (Healer) is found dead, his body surrounded by animal-like footprints, and his hand lacerated by a human-bone arrow, a traditional weapon of a Skinwalker.

Chee, struggling between his professionalism and traditional beliefs, feels the killer is a Skinwalker. Leaphorn, a city-reared Native American who's beginning to understand his Native roots, has no doubt the killer is a man who is hunting down Healers.

Together, Leaphorn and Chee seek to protect another Healer from the mysterious killer, and they slowly decrypt Navajo evidence that could lead to a ghostkiller or mankiller.

Skinwalkers weaves together thrilling Navajo folklore and art, mesmerizing copper-hued glowing landscapes, meditative musical lines, and harsh Native American reality - poverty, violence, anger, hurt, and an excruciatingly painful elimination of Native American tradition.