This weekend I had a mini horror film binge to try and catch up on some of the titles I’ve wanted to see for a while. On this list was Under The Skin, starring the lovely Scarlett Johansson.
This tense film starts out with a very confusing but beautifully shot scene of her in a white room looking down at herself, lying paralysed on the ground, and continues on in a confusing vein until the reveal at the end.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer (of Sexy Beast acclaim) it follows the main character, known as The Woman, who seeks out solitary males and lures them into a derelict house with the promise of sex. Strange things ensue and needless to say, none of the men appear to actually get laid.
Johansson’s performance is intense, chilling and extremely convincing, and although most of the film is set with her driving around in a white van, the cinematography is very impressive and conveys the atmosphere of the film really well: rainy, bleak, and isolated.
Coupled with the great camera work, a distinct lack of music throughout most of the film and an overarching sense of foreboding, this film impressed me without being over the top, big budget horror.
Even though you don’t get any firm answers, the film tells you enough towards the end that you can draw your own conclusions in this chilling piece.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, albeit slow at times.
At the risk of sounding pretentious, I think that this is a great commentary on human life. It shows us just how alone one can be and how chance encounters can change your life drastically. It also could be a commentary on how in some cultures women are seen as objects, purely there for the benefit of men, which is definitely one of the major points in this film. I also like how she preyed upon regular people for the majority. In films like Teeth the men are attacked as retaliation for a crime, but in this film they’re normal guys going about their daily lives.
Here’s the trailer however, if you want to see for yourself.
IMDB rating of 6.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating of 85%
