The Big Picture\n\n The movie delves into the theme of childhood abandonment or abuse, portraying the home as a place of terror and hopelessness.

Skinamarink was inspired by the tropes recurrent in the most commonly submitted nightmares. The film was preceded by a 2024 proof of concept short film titled Heck, which was also directed by Ball. Ball recalled, "I'd had a nightmare when I was little.