Starring: Scarlett Johansson
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Run Time: 106 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Scarlett Johansson playing a man-eating alien? Sounds good to me! “Under the Skin” is definitely one hell of a unique film. Most of it feels very unscripted, which is was, and feels like you are watching from a hidden camera, which you were. Scarlett Johansson is literally fantastic in the role, she is emotionless, erotic and just amazing. The film is so strange and different, so if you are expecting big special effects etc, look somewhere else. This has a very minimalist feel to it and is driven by an amazing (and extremely disturbing) score by Mica Levi. Plus Ms. Johansson strips down for the first time very artfully, which is not a bad sight but also at the same time a little strange. Watch it and you will know what I mean. Definitely not for everyone but I haven’t stopped thinking about this creepy little film.
Official Premise: A voluptuous woman of unknown origin (Johansson) combs the highways in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring a succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michel Faber, Under the Skin examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.
Lionsgate is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + UltraViolet included. Like I mentioned above, the film has a very handheld look and feel to it, so the 1080p transfer varies. There are some shots though that are just stunning and look absolutely amazing. I especially loved the alternate dimension scene in the run down house, really well shot. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also a real winner for this release. Mica Levi’s score is creepy as well and really sounds amazing. There is only one special feature called “Making of Under the Skin” but it is split up into multiple featurettes focusing on various aspects of the film. I would have loved to see a commentary track included to help explain various aspect deeper of this film.
