Under The Skin

My Grade:  B-

This is a strange one, folks. Under The Skin is from little known director Jonathan Glazer and stars the talented and gorgeous Scarlett Johansson. Be warned, watching this film is not your normal film-viewing experience. To be honest, I am not even really sure why I liked it as well as I did because it’s, frankly, kind of boring from a story standpoint. The visuals keep it alive and can only be described as hypnotic.

Under The Skin follows the story of a beautiful young woman as she seduces lonely men during the wee hours in Scotland and lures them back to her... what can only be described as a lair, I guess. On her journey, however, she discovers who she really is and a little about what it means to be human.

To call the story slow would be an understatement. Much of the film contains no dialogue but a lot of Johansson’s character doing some major people-watching. It’s as if she is hypnotized by how they interact with each other and even by how they move. But, surprisingly enough, watching her watch people is mesmerizing. Sometimes she is simply looking at herself in the mirror; but she does it with such interest and wonder that it is unlike anyone else has ever looked at themselves in the mirror before. Then, when she does lure an unsuspecting lad back to her lair, you may want to look away, but you can’t. Visually, this film is a strangely hypnotic masterpiece.

Adding to the unique and engrossing visual style is the minimalist score which captures the mood perfectly and serves to hypnotize you even more. The filmic elements come together in such a way to draw you in and seduce you much like Johansson’s character seduces her victims. Then, once you are drawn in, the weirdly appealing visual effects blow you away and leave you speechless. 

None of this would work if it weren’t for Johansson’s spectacular performance. She perfectly captures the wide-eyed wonder that her character has while observing humans as if seeing them for the first time. Then, as her character arc takes shape and she begins to realize what it’s like to be a part of this world that seems so foreign to her, it’s almost as if we get to experience it with her. It’s uncanny how well she connects with the viewer with very little dialogue.

Overall, Under The Skin celebrates film as a visual art form. It is definitely not a film for everyone and I would not really like to see it again. I mentioned the hypnotic nature of the film multiple times because it’s almost as if this film tricks you into liking it when it’s really not fun to watch... because it’s not fun but I dare you to look away. This is a film that will stick with you. So, if you’re into unique film experiences and can get past the nudity (which isn’t just used for the sake of having nudity), then rent Under The Skin and let it get under your skin (see what I did there).