In My Mother's Skin is a dark fairy tale from the Philippines.
In which a young girl is trying to help her family survive amidst the isolation of WWII...where they are stuck in no man's land, between Japanese and American forces.
Their father has gone off to work for the Americans.
While their mother is suffering from a debilitating illness.
And their aunt is being forced to search for a mysterious horde of gold, by their extortionist neighbour.
Therefore, leaving it up to the two siblings to scrounge up enough food to survive.
Their search takes them into the forest...where the young girl meets a mysterious fairy, who offers to grant her wishes.
She first asks for her mother to be healed.
Not realizing that this miraculous feat comes with a caveat...as it turns her mother into a flesh-eating beast.
So, when she asks for food the next time she meets her.
Her brother refuses to eat it...out of fear he will be subject to the same fate.
Understandably, this makes her wary about asking for any more favours.
But she is forced to ask for help, in order to try and save her brother's life...after he is shot by their neighbour, in a rage.
Because he is all she has left...after having mistakenly shot her aunt, when trying to exact revenge on the neighbour.
Not realizing that her mother had already taken care of that.
So, when presented with the oppourtunity...she can't bring herself to do it.
Knowing that she will just be deceived again.
Which puts her in a position where she just can't win.
You can't help but pray that she will wake up from this horrible nightmare.
Because things only go from bad to worse.
Thus, the fairy approaches her, once again, when she's at her lowest point.
Reassuring her that she can make it all go away.
Though, you can't help but feel this is all just a ruse...to get her to consent giving this evil fairy possession of her innocent soul.
Because, despite the consequences...all her actions were made out of love.
Which is why you feel so bad for her, after witnessing the trauma she is forced to endure.
So it's not really a surprise that this grim fairy tale doesn't have a happy ending.
3.5 out of 10.
