Under the Skin (2013)

Under the Skin (2013) — a hypnotic, unsettling sci‑fi drama directed by Jonathan Glazer and anchored by a haunting performance from Scarlett Johansson — follows an alien entity inhabiting the body of a young woman as she prowls the roads and cities of Scotland, luring isolated men into a mysterious void where they are consumed. At first clinical and predatory, her encounters and exposure to human vulnerability slowly crack the alien’s indifference and begin a painful, ambiguous process of self‑discovery. Viewing experience: the film is less a conventional thriller than an immersive sensory experience. Expect long, lingering shots, minimal dialogue, and an eerie, dissonant score that amplifies feelings of loneliness, eroticism and menace. The cinematography and editing create an alien, dreamlike atmosphere — quiet, often claustrophobic — that makes the ordinary world feel strange and uncanny. As the protagonist encounters human complexity, the film shifts from cold detachment to a fragile, tragic intimacy. Themes: identity, otherness, empathy and the peril of embodiment — all explored through slow, elliptical storytelling that favors mood and sensory detail over plot explanation. The result is provocative and emotionally disorienting: part body‑horror parable, part existential meditation. Content note: the film contains nudity and disturbing imagery; it’s slow‑burn and may be unsettling rather than conventionally entertaining. If you’re open to bold visual storytelling and psychological discomfort, Under the Skin offers a singular, memorable cinematic experience.

Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Runtime: 108 min

Genres: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

5.8 /10 83 /100 6.3 /10 6.8 /10