Chris Kavan's Movie Review of Under the Skin (2014)

Far More Than Skin Deep
Chris Kavan - wrote on 07/09/14

Under the Skin is very different kind of film than the standard Hollywood fare that comes out at the chain theaters. It's almost poetic in nature - from the haunting score, the stark landscapes and hidden camera shooting - this is as far from a blockbuster as you're going to get.

This is a project director Jonathan Glazer worked on for a decade. The story seems simple on the surface - an alien in human skin prowls the streets, back alleys and coast of Scotland. The mission? Find lonely men, take them home and process them. The alien in question is Scarlett Johansson - and although she uses sex as a weapon, her demeanor is far from sexy. She is muted here - almost emotionless - in one of the most powerful scenes in the film as she is trying to pick up a man on a distant beach, she watches as a woman swins out in the dangerous current for her dog, her husband follows - and the man she is after tries to save them both. But that's not the kicker, as there is one more family member - that movie is worth watching for that part alone.

But something happens - Johansson's character starts to develop feelings - or something close enough to them to begin questioning her mission. It's an awakening of sorts, subtle, but truly there - but it comes maybe just a tad too late. The final scene is also very powerful - and it ends on a high, if rather abrupt, note. Some may say this movie is boring, moves slow and that nothing really happens. Those people are too brainwashed by a slew of brainless blockbusters to realize how impressive this movie really is.

A lot of this was filmed using hidden cameras - and the movie just feels more real because of that. That takes a lot of guts to film on the fly like that - but I think it makes for a much more compelling outcome. The only thing I was hoping for was more of an explanation behind the intentions - but I guess things are left ambiguous for a reason (our minds are much better are coming up with a good story than any Hollywood scribe could hope).

Give this movie a chance - it will make you think and, as the title suggests, it will get under your skin.