Attention men! Scarlett Johansson is roaming Scotland looking for young single men. To many this might sound like exciting news, but be warned: this is not actually the actress Scarlett Johansson herself but some sort of extraterrestrial being played by her with a remarkably convincing English accent and a very unflattering dark wig. And secondly and perhaps more crucially, this figure is not interested in sex. You may, if you’re lucky, get to see her in her underwear.
But, on balance, this is probably not really worth it as seconds later you’ll find yourself being sucked into a black void, like Dr Gloucester in a much darker version of the nursery rhyme, popped like a balloon. For it’s not your body she wants: it’s your skin. Women eh?
To some this might sound a bit like Species, the silly but entertaining 90s sci-fi/horror in which an alien played by Natasha Henstridge went round shagging the likes of Alfred Molina before killing them, seconds later.
But in fact Under The Skin couldn’t be more different: an arty, untitillating, eerie affair with so little dialogue throughout its running time that it almost qualifies as a silent movie. In this sense, it is the polar opposite of Johansson’s other recent sci-fi, Her, in which she appeared only as the voice of an operating system, never appearing in her physical form at all. Here, she does speak a little but only to entice her male victims to their doom, themselves often played by non-actors with strong Scottish accents. I’m genuinely not sure if she says anything in the second half of the film at all, despite being in almost every scene.
In truth, this is probably one of the strangest films I’ve ever seen. The lack of dialogue and unusual editing made it a struggle to follow. Why exactly does Johansson’s character need to harvest male human skin anyway? Is she indeed an alien? What causes her apparent change of heart relatively early in the film? These are just some of the many questions raised, within me, at least.
Based on Michael Faber’s novel, Jonathan Glazer has created a weird but mesmerising film with an effective soundtrack , some beautiful shots of the Scottish landscape (rendered nicely on Blu-ray) and a strong but highly unusual turn for Johansson, a world away from previous roles in the likes of We Bought A Zoo. Extras include some short interviews with the crew.
Overall Verdict: Horror? Not really. Science fiction? Probably. Original? Most definitely. A powerful, weird film which whether you like it or not, will undoubtedly get under your own skin.
Special Features:
Interviews with Crew on Aspects of the Production: Camera, Editing, Locations, Music, Poster Design, Production Design, Script, Sound, VFX
Reviewer: Chris Hallam