Under the Skin Review

Here’s the thing: I don’t know how to describe my reaction to Under the Skin, the latest effort from Sexy Beast director Jonathan Glazer.  More accurately, I don’t think that I can describe my reaction to it in the liked it or not sense.  It is hard to say for sure what is going on most of the time because there’s very little dialogue or plot to give us insight into what is going on.  Not that that is really the point: it’s clear early on that this is going to be a challenging ride.  I also don’t want to dismiss it with an “I don’t get it” either because I don’t want to be the guy who dismisses stuff that goes outside of the traditional boundaries of narrative film.  Ultimately however much you enjoy or appreciate this film depends on how willing you are to embrace this film’s weirdness.  If you’re ready to turn it off by the time the title flashes on the screen, this film is not for you.

The film stars Scarlett Johansson as a mysterious woman who seduces random men on the streets of Scotland and kills them.  There is also a man on a motorcycle (professional motorcycle racer Jeremy McWilliams) who is trailing her.  The volume of ambiguity in the film makes writing a synopsis a fool’s errand, especially those who aren’t looking up the Wikipedia entry to try and get a purer response.  Johansson, who has done well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has a good hot streak with smaller films like Her, deserves a lot of credit for taking on such a daring role.  Obviously she was cast in part because of her sex appeal, but she definitely has the chops.

With the lack of plot or character, the film makes up for it in technique.  It looks amazing.  The film’s use of light and dark imagery helps establish this bizarre, dreamlike world that runs parallel to our own.  Daniel Landin’s camera work could be enjoyed with the film on mute, but the sound is another vital piece.  With the lack of dialogue, the sound design and soundtrack steps up in a big way.  It’s hard not to think of the soundtrack to 2001 with some of the more droning pieces of music, especially in the opening sequence.  I have to imagine this film plays better on the big screen.

Under the Skin has been considered one of the best films of the year, but it is decidedly not for everyone.  There is minimal plot or story and nothing is spoon fed.  It is easy to see how it almost has as many 1/10 reviews as it does 10/10 reviews on IMDB and I definitely am looking forward to reading more of what other people thought about it.  While I often have a hard time with these types of films, top notch filmmaking and Johansson’s performance are what make it worth seeing.  For even true cinephiles, throwing in a challenge like this may seem like a chore, but I believe exercising your brain with a film like this can only benefit a viewer, even the ones who can’t make it to the end credits.

Grade: B?