For about an hour I thought this was basically flawless. It's slow-paced, but immediately captivating and visually stunning. The score is haunting and definitely adds to the effect. I thought most of it was absolutely terrifying and chilling. There's one scene in particular that was horrifying and deeply upset me, and another scene that creeped me the hell out. It goes in a bit of a different direction for the last 45 minutes, setting up a redemption arc of sorts for the nameless main character, and I thought this portion was effective but not as strong as the first hour. The ending is incredibly haunting though. Scarlett Johannson is absolutely fantastic - terrifying, seductive and also vulnerable in a lead performance that is nothing like she's ever done before. The rest of the cast is mostly made up of smaller roles and bits by non-actors, though one of the men Johansson meets in the film who has a physical deformity delivers an effective turn. This definitely has the feel of a Stanley Kubrick film, from the visuals and long-takes to the score to the overall mood. It's one of the most unique films of the year for sure and I won't forget it anytime soon. A-

More miss than hit for me. I was engaged for most of the first half but the second half not so much. ScarJo is fine with what's she's given but nothing extraordinary. Some of the visuals are memorable but as a film it left me with much more questions than I would've liked.

A predatory alien disguised as a beautiful human female haunts the cities and countryside of Scotland. She catches the eye of isolated and wayward men and draws them into her web for a sinister purpose before slowly becoming conscious of her human form and its sensations, a transformation portrayed with sensuality and subtlety by a game Scarlett Johansson. Her journey is the central storyline of Under the Skin, a wonderful and almost indescribable blend of the erotic, the frightening, and the otherworldly. It is the third feature directed by Jonathan Glazer. His first two features, the hip gangster film Sexy Beast and the contemplative reincarnation mystery Birth, are both confident and perfectly crafted in their own way, and he has also directed a long list of iconic promotional videos for, among others, Blur, the Dead Weather, and Radiohead. This film, however, is his most audacious and complete achievement to date.

Through exacting shot compositions and the complex tapestry of suspenseful, often atonal music and other sounds (the crying of a baby, for example, or the crashing of waves), Glazer conjures a vast sense of dread, the type which pushes one past a simple adjective such as "intrigued" or "scared" to a place of existential alarm. He is also able to let the audience see the world through the eyes of the alien by training his camera on quote-unquote commonplace sights, such as people of diverse ages and colors on the street or trees blowing in the wind, in such a way as to invite detached scientific examination rather than a disposable in-one-eye-and-out-the-other glance. As if for the first time, we see how glorious and unusual people are, from the way they move to the way they style themselves to the way they flirt with or abuse those around them. Overall, this is not a film one understands so much as one we feel and respond to on a visceral level: it uses the space of the cinema (the big screen, the encircling sound system) to seduce and assault the collective expectations and senses of the audience, and it has the iconoclastic ring and flair of a genre masterpiece.

A

This was my point. Narrative gaps such as the exact nature of the aliens and what they are using us for falls by the wayside in a film which draws its immense power from sensory details and vividly conveys a sense of space, a sense of texture and touch, etc. Partly inspired by publicenemy#1 saying he felt it left too many questions unresolved.

I was referring to narrative specifics, not perceived themes.

better than species

Under The Skin is far out.

I mean really far out there - - it's teases the very edges of storytelling by stalking the predator/prey lifecycle - - only remaining in touch via Scarlett Johansson's feral embodiment.

Each of Jonathon Glazer's three films has ranged further from it's narrative sun and with an increasingly eccentric orbit (though for me, Birth remains the apogee).

Under The Skin got under mine.


5 out of 5.

Going into this movie I wasn't sure what to expect. I almost made a 75 minute drive to see this in theaters but comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey (a movie I respected more than I actually enjoyed) turned me off. I wish it hadn't because this was such an experience that is begging to be seen in the theater. The direction, cinematography and score are all pitch perfect. It has a very eerie/creepy quality to it that is hard to shake. Scarlett Johansson is perfect here as well.

I do need to watch it again, I'm not sure I fully get the meaning of the ending (if there even is an actual meaning behind it) but that is just minor nitpicking. Under the Skin is an experience like no other and at the moment, the best movie of the year. It will for sure be on my year end top 10. Not a movie for everyone but for the ones who can enjoy the type of film this is, they're in for a real treat.

A

Under the Skin

This makes for compelling viewing with a great and unexpected pay-off. Probably one of the biggest surprises that I've had in a film ever. It was a strong performance by Scarlett Johansson too, in a role that was made for her cold hearted, look-of-death acting. The film is encapsulating, but it also could have been made better. Regardless, I appreciate and respect its avant-garde approach. The film has such a rich visceral pedigree, and an empathy/purpose in its execution. Brilliant.

Note: at first I watched the Chinese edited version. Then I thought something didn't feel right, so I downloaded the full version, which was MUCH better (lots of nudity and lots more awesomeness ).

A-

Scarlet Johansson really has such a normal, unspectacular body, that this film will hopefully go some of the way in dispelling the myth that she's this heavenly beauty. She's so average looking that I was constantly perplexed when people salivated over her. Still, though, in this she does she a nice ass, but her breasts, while larger than the average Chinese girl, are nothing special at all. Plus she's carrying some extra weight, which I admit sets her apart from the stick-thin poster girls that teenagers masturbate over, but it still doesn't impress me as this shape/size is not unique to her; millions of talentless nothings are also like this.

And Chippy's back to trolling.

Did he ever really stop?

I think anyone who has seen Scarlett Johansson's generous nude scenes in Under The Skin would say that your description (if not your opinion) of her body is generally accurate.

Well, he stopped for about 4 days. But I agree, that's almost not worth mentioning. Sometimes he is absent for more than that.

I didn't realize rolling my eyes is trolling.

Trolls usually miss memos. To busy TROLLIN'.

An absolute masterpiece. The film and Scarlett Johansson are mesmerizing. Gorgeous, hypnotic, brilliantly directed. The use of sound and visuals are beautiful and unnerving. Just when I thought it was starting to get a little repetitive (though not annoyingly so as it was still utterly fascinating) it switches gears entirely and becomes a totally different film. I don't think I'll be able to shake this anytime soon. It's haunting. I know I won't be able to get that beach scene out of my head. One of the most disturbing scenes in a film that I've seen.

To say this is an art film is an understatement. Most people will not get or even try to get this film. But it's an experience like no other and one of the best films of the year. This movie will be discussed for years.

9/10 (A)

Perfect score at the moment from WOKJ. And the best part is that Bradley has already reviewed it, so he can't come in and ruin the party!!!

UNDER THE SKIN

I enjoyed the film overall. I stuck with it to the end which apparently is difficult for some. I found the film mostly fascinating/interesting. It's quite open ended since there isn't alot explained in any detail here but it still kept my attention. I thought the opening was attention grabbing but the scenes of her going driving about got a bit repetitive. Scarlett was fantastic in the role though. I was surprised about the nudity she did and some of the male nudity too. The scenes in the house with the black whatever it was were all mesmerizing. I did start to lose a bit of interested towards the end but the climactic ending brought me back. Overall, I thought it was a unique film. I thought of buying it and still might but no commentary from the writer or director. Come on...

Grade - B

You just had to come along and ruin the string of A's .

Not sure if I could even give a letter grade to this. It's a very memorable film visually and creates some haunting tones, but the story was a bit too abstract for my tastes.

If I to got to have one of my many questions answered about the film, it would definitely be what was the biker's purpose. That went completely over my head.

In regard to the motorcyclists, I believe they are assistants and monitors. Or henchmen. They procure clothes and a vehicle. They chase down the man (the deformed one) she lets escape. They try to find her when she vanishes.

I cannot say, however, whether they are also aliens "under skin" or humans, but I strongly assume the former.

Gotcha, just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything obvious then. I assume they must somehow benefit from the men that Scarlett catches.

If I remember right, one of the motorcyclists at the beginning was the one who found Scarlett's original body that should would soon inhabit (or I guess technically copy as she just took her clothes).

I mostly hated it, I understand what he was going for but it was not interesting/unique execution to me among other avant-garde, or themes beyond the obvious (emotional disconnect/walls/etc.) Without Scarlett it would feel like a film student's art project to me