"Under the Skin," the first film by Jonathan Glazer after a nine-year hiatus following the release of "Birth" (2004), is a film certain to alienate audiences. More concerned with mood and atmosphere than conventional storytelling, "Skin" excises superfluous (or, for that matter, most if not all) exposition and dialogue, as director Glazer is more intent on visualizing the story rather than merely telling it explicitly, passing the complexity of his tale to the audience to piece together.
Scarlett Johansson stares as an unnamed stranger in Scotland who utilizes her sensuality to lead dirty-minded young men to their doom. Aided by a mysterious man on a motorcycle, Johansson's character prowls the streets for potential prey. Blinded by lust or simply their own naivete, the victims swiftly begin to tally up, though their exact fates are unclear (as is apt with the rest of the narrative.)
Beautifully shot by cinematographer Daniel Landin and featuring a hauntingly beautiful score by Mica Levi, Glazer's "Under the Skin" is an abstract and disturbing film, deeply unsettling in many respects, and a rewarding experience for a patient audience.
Scarlett Johansson stares as an unnamed stranger in Scotland who utilizes her sensuality to lead dirty-minded young men to their doom. Aided by a mysterious man on a motorcycle, Johansson's character prowls the streets for potential prey. Blinded by lust or simply their own naivete, the victims swiftly begin to tally up, though their exact fates are unclear (as is apt with the rest of the narrative.)
Beautifully shot by cinematographer Daniel Landin and featuring a hauntingly beautiful score by Mica Levi, Glazer's "Under the Skin" is an abstract and disturbing film, deeply unsettling in many respects, and a rewarding experience for a patient audience.