Under the Skin (2013)

#Reviews #Film #Arty #Horror #ScarlettJohansson #Undertheskin #JonathanGlazer

Director - Jonathan Glazer

Loosely based on Michel Faber’s novel and starring the world’s most famous actress, Under the Skin is an odd film that managed to confuse and anger at the time of its release. Another ScarJo vehicle, this is not.

In Glasgow, Scarlett Johansson’s alien masquerades as a brunette, picks up interested men and takes them home, and from there it’s all up for interpretation. It is safe to say that it does not end well for her victims.

Under the Skin has fascinating layers of subtext to unravel. Nothing is unintentional. The scenes where the usually glamorous Scarlett walks around rural Scotland, shot in documentary style, are drab, realistic, unusual and entrancing. She stands out having never been seen in such a setting before. As she drives around looking for her next victim, the camera often lingers over her shoulder shakily, realistically. When you consider that some of the men she meets in the movie are not actually actors, it lends further layers to its message about the attraction between the sexes. They have no idea who she is (her English accent is excellent) beneath that wig.

Eventually, the Female, as she is referred to in the credits, learns empathy and begins to understand and even perhaps enjoy what being human is like. She goes on a journey of discovery and darkness, where the mundane aspects of relationships become disturbing, fittingly leading to a bizarre and harrowing finale.

Ultimately, Under the Skin is a mood piece. From stale reality to dream-like horror, it offers little in the way of narrative direction for viewers to follow. So opaque, it’s an experience that will differ from person to person. A famous footnote for the movie is the full-frontal nudity scene, fascinatingly portrayed in a non-sexualised way; just how the Female views herself.

It’s a stunning movie, visually, and its sound design perfectly captures the alien atmosphere. That scraping, string-fused music is unforgettable, perfectly signalling the coming doom. This is quite a daring venture for Johansson and she is frankly incredible here, portraying the Female as emotionally untouchable, empathetically distant, yet beautiful, entrancing and utterly compelling to watch in her growth. It reminds me of a time when she was an up-and-coming actress rather than the blockbuster beauty she is now.

I have to wonder how Johansson's presence truly affects the movie, would it have been as interesting with a different actress? Well never know and for now, it is best to enjoy what her performance brings to such a small film.