Nothing can prepare you for this movie. Not even this article. But dammit if I won't still recommend it to you.
Under the Skin is not for the faint of heart. Or faint of stomach. Based on a novel of the same name, Under the Skin is a sci-fi horror starring Scarlett Johansson in which she plays a creature disguised as a human woman that lures lonely men into her home and captures them in order to harvest their organs. It's safe to say that this is a role we haven't ever seen Scarlett Johansson play and yet she plays it so perfectly.
For the most part, this film has very little dialogue. There are brief vignettes of the unnamed seductress driving around in her van, questioning men she finds on the street in order to determine whether or not they will be missed if she were to take them. She asks simple questions: "Where are you from?" and "Do you have family here?" She appears unassuming and innocent to these men. However, should they imply that there is someone to miss them, she quickly reverts back to her stare, uninterested in these men. Johansson perfectly assumes the role of this hunting creature that stalks unassuming men. Her intense gaze seems to transcend the screen and creep down your skin as you watch.
Should a man fit her criteria, she takes him in her van under the pretense of a ride down the street, and seduces them, bringing them to her home. It is at her home that an eerie violin motif begins to play. She walks forward in a seemingly endless black room, slowly stripping off her clothes as her prey does the same. The men are ensnared in her visage, unable to notice the peril that they are literally walking directly into. Slowly, her victims sink into the black floor, unable to tear their gaze away from her and, before they realize it, they have been captured and primed for harvesting.
The creature portrayed by Johansson is alien; she understands basic human interaction for the purpose of duplicity. However, this particular creature seems a bit perturbed by her actions. Though we see her commit these atrocities to men, there is a perverse understanding of her character. She seeks to understand herself and questions the morality of her actions.
Under the Skin is one of my new favorite films. It is artistic, grotesque and so fascinating. Johansson delivers an amazing performance, despite only having a few lines. There is something so captivating about her character in this film. The beautiful cinematography of the film brings out the grotesqueries and draws in the audience. I highly recommend this film in your are in the mood for an eerily gorgeous cinematic experience.
