Under the Skin is a science fiction, suspense thriller, which debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in August of 2013. The film, which is an adaptation of Michel Faber’s novel, follows the exploits of a sexy alien, which is played by Scarlett Johansson. Along with another alien, Johansson’s character stalks the streets of Scotland, as she hunts down and kills men.

The film begins with the introduction of two aliens. The one, which rides the motorcycle, collects the body of a young woman, which is found on the side of the road. The female alien, takes the body and strips it naked, before putting on the dead woman’s clothing. After this, the female alien begins to browse Scotland, as she looks for more victims to consume.

When she takes the victims back to her apartment, she undresses in front of them, as they follow her into a strange, black substance, which causes them to shed their skin and die. The woman alien performs this same task time and again, until she runs across a socially awkward male, who suffers from facial disfigurements. Instead of consuming the man, she lets him go, but the motorcyclist alien quickly captures the man.

Will the aliens meet their match? Or will they continue to prey on the ignorant men, who are desperate for a woman’s embrace?

Review


All in all, Under the Skin is a sci-fi movie, which attempts to instill a powerful message in the viewer. Unfortunately, most viewers won’t catch the message, which is hidden deep within the dark film. In fact, the film is so dark at times that it is simply too difficult to watch. Obviously the filmmakers wanted to make a film with an artsy appearance, but they went a little too far. The music, on the other hand, works perfectly to build a spooky vibe. Too bad nothing happens to bring a climax, which would equal the moving tunes.

Overall, not a whole lot happens in the movie. Once you’ve seen the first few scenes, you’ve seen everything. However, Scarlett Johansson did play the awkward role fairly well. She even nailed the accent and should be credited for it. If this is supposed to be a work of art, it would be the equivalent of an abstract oil painting filled with dull grays that you’d find in a second hand, thrift store.

The film deserves a 5 out of 10.