Review of Under the Skin (2014) by Thequietgamer — 15 Sep 2018

I remember there being a lot of hype for this. Not because people were excited for another deep, thoughtful sci-fi movie or anything like that, but because Scarlett Johansson was going to be naked. When it finally came out I saw that it got good reviews, but nobody really talked about it after that. So I assumed that everybody masturbated then moved on with their lives and that I wouldn't be missing anything by skipping it. It wasn't until a few years later that someone I met online recommended it to me and I decided that I might as well check it out at some point. I have ended up glad that they convinced me to look past my misconceptions and give it a shot.

The premise of an alien seductress leading men to their deaths with the promise of sex sounds like it should be the basis for a movie where the sole appeal is in the nudity. Not something as dark and haunting as this. Under the Skin has a B-movie setup, but ended up with art house appeal. The cinematography is gorgeous. Watching Johansson drive around in a van and do almost nothing is way more entertaining than it should be. Not just because of how great Jonathan Glazer and Daniel Landin were able to make the mundane look, but also because of Johansson herself. Her stare that is both empty, but full of curiosity is mesmerizing. You really want to get inside of her character's head just as much as all these men want to get inside her pants.

It's a very vague movie. Perhaps intentionally so that viewers may be able to draw their own conclusions as to what it's about. Loneliness from a true outsider's perspective? Trying to find your place in a cold world? A celebration of individuality? A critique of men's harassment and objectification of beautiful women? Even something as simple as real beauty being on the inside? I couldn't quite say. All I know is that it's a movie that is able to overcome most of the boredom one would typically find in something this slow-paced thanks to a wonderful performance from it's lead actress and that I enjoyed it very much.