When it comes to body horror, there’s always evolution for the genre. Where David Cronenberg left off, Brian Yuzna picked up and even into the new millenia, the likes of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE and TEETH have proven there’s plenty more shlock horror yet to be unearthed.

One such unearthing is from Ben Aston and a concept as creepy as it is enchanting. For the love and desire of his wife, a man literally takes off his skin for her. Life for the couple is rosy as the eerie looking vessel is everything his wife desired, stains and all, that is until he seeks the same in return.

HE TOOK OFF HIS SKIN FOR ME is charmingly romantic and absent of horror. That’s not to say there is some uneasy viewing in the short running time but this is more uncomfortably feeling his pain as she runs her fingers down his musclebound body. Unfortunately, that uncomfortable feeling is only skin deep as the couple quickly take any pain away. A man stripped down to his bare function yet feels no pain, no illness, no agony quickly becomes a superficial shocker. The issue with Aston’s short is that it lacks any reality so the initial chills are quickly overcome.

The visual effects are amazing and it would be interesting to see Aston put his craft to something more horror centric, und=fortunately the medium here does little justice and lacks the punch this film so deserves. While the short tale is always enigmatic to watch, its effect is only as deep as the first cut but that’s not to say there is no joy to be had here. The central performances from Sebastian Armesto and Anna Maguire are charismatic and are the glue to this piece, it's a shame that the main pull is so distractingly unrealistic.