‎Under the Skin (2013) directed by Jonathan Glazer • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Under the Skin

2013 Directed by Jonathan Glazer

A mysterious seductress preys upon the population of Scotland

A seductive alien prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell.

Scarlett Johansson Kryštof Hádek Paul Brannigan Michael Moreland Scott Dymond Jeremy McWilliams Lynsey Taylor Mackay Dougie McConnell Kevin McAlinden D. Meade Andrew Gorman Joe Szula Roy Armstrong Alison Chand Ben Mills Oscar Mills Lee Fanning Marius Bincu Stephen Horn Adam Pearson May Mewes Gerry Goodfellow Dave Acton Jessica Mance Antonia Campbell-Hughes

Alternative Titles

皮下之慌, Pod skóra, Pobud v moey Shkure, Under the Skin - Tödliche Verführung, Bajo la piel, Під шкірою, Pod kožou, 언더 더 스킨

drama science fiction thriller

108 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by James Haves 36

What.

What?

I don't get it.

So?

I don't get it.

At least give it a rating.

But I don't get it.

Was it good?

Yes.

Would you recommend it?

I don't know.

How does that work?

I don't know.

What?

What?

Just give it 2 1/2 or something.

I can't.

Why?

Because it's good.

Then what's the issue?

I don't know.

For fuck's sake.

I don't understand it. It confused me.

Just your plebian mind.

Fuck you.

Fuck you.

You know this whole review is entirely self-indulgent, right?

Yep.

So why are we doing it?

Only thing we could think of.

Oh yeah.

Also we're attention whores who like likes.

That's true.

Want pizza?

Sure.
Review by Adam Cook 79

Fuck knows.
Review by Adam Cook 91

It is rare for me to finish a film and be unable to form any real opinion on it. Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, loosely based on Michel Faber’s novel of the same name, is a film that deliberately defies easy understanding. It is a befuddling, enigmatic and contradictory work that demands total engagement from its audience as it avoids all the trappings of a conventional movie. Yet after I left the theatre, both impressed and disappointed, I have been unable to shake the film from my thoughts.

It is a film of surprising contrasts - it is simultaneously mesmerising yet tedious, surreal yet mundane, erotic yet sterile. It is this internal conflict that makes the film so difficult to…
Review by DirkH ★★★★★ 26

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

I love it when a straightforward story gets a unique treatment. Glazer's film is deliberately alienating, visually and aurally arresting and singularly engaging. I say the latter with no small amount of reserve as it asks a lot of its audience making it difficult to click with. But click with it I did.

Glazer opens with the birth of Johansson's character. In a beautiful visual sequence, we hear her find her voice followed by a rather disconcerting scene in which she clothes herself. Disconcerting because of the compete lack of empathy for the dead girl she is plucking her new wardrobe from. Against a sterile white background we see her clinically do what needs to be done. She gives the…
Review by Todd Gaines ★★★★ 59

ScarJo cruisin' the hills of Scotland and channeling her inner Natasha Henstridge in Jonathan Glazer's incredibly unique one-of-a-kind viewing experience. Motorcycle zoom zoom. ScarJo naked? Hooker high heels. Ants. The way ScarJo looks in her jeans. Red lipstick makes you more fuckable. Minivan cruisin'. Disorganized directions. You should always buckle up for safety. Lonely guy. Chatty chap. Seductive strip. Disappearing wang. Ocean waves. Wetsuit chum. Lifesaver. ScarJo's jacket. Getting hit in the head with a rock fuckin' hurts. Crying baby. Clubbin' for some lovin'. Leprechaun sounding gent. Sexy backwards walk. Weird as fuck faces. Sideways cock. Fade to what the fuckin' fuck fuck fuckin'? Red rose. ScarJo's eyes. Smart dude. Face first fall. Attack the Block rejects. Hoodie man is…
Review by Bruno ★★★★★ 24

Definitely one of the most audacious, visually stunning and touching films in recent years! Scarlett Johansson gives an outstanding performance here and it’s great to see her doing more alternative roles again. I wasn’t familiar with Jonathan Glazer’s work but I was instantly captivated by the unique story, the extravagant visuals and haunting score. Under the Skin is not only a very compelling drama that examines an emotionless alien who gradually starts to perceive how it feels to be human, but it’s also filled with several enigmatic figures throughout this journey which will make you ponder about them long after seeing the movie. In addition, there were a couple of disturbing moments and one in particular which actually made me…

Recent reviews

Review by vintage_sly ★★★

Netflix
• Very very strange. Not really sure what to think about it, don’t think I really “got” it but I wonder how my view will change after a rewatch.
• Love that main score, very eerie.
• Felt like the multiple shots in succession of people doing everyday things were meant to show how “alien” these normal things would look to am outsider, idk tho.
• One sequence in particular had my emotions on a rollercoaster, Very sad and disturbing but had a weird hint of heartwarming.
Review by Nick DiBernardino ★★

This really did nothing for me. I get everything it was trying to do. I understood the themes and the visuals and appreciated Scarlett's performance. I just wish every idea the film had was told in a more interesting way because this really meandered along.
Review by rfb ½

Dog shit
Review by noremac15

Oh here she comes / She's a maneater
Review by kalsay ★★★

... what
Review by kahil ★★★★★

Weird but cool
Review by Jack McGowan ★★★★

There's not a single performance in this I didn't buy into, and the visuals are second to none for the budget. The story and sound are both a bit off kilter, but in a way that supplements the overall experience. The 'ambiguity' most people seem to mention is more a lack of understanding, although you can appreciate where these people are coming from, as the film depicts the story in a very "show, don't tell" manner.

The overall package I can only describe as being comprised of very high quality pieces, but assembled in a way that satisfies less than more conventional narratives. Still a wholly worthwhile experience I can see myself returning to.
Review by Jon Shields ★★★★½

I cannot figure out how to parse the impossibly broad horror genre. There are films that are deeply upsetting to me, that so unsettle me that I can't imagine how anyone could derive enjoyment from them. These are popular horror films, films some friends didn't even find scary or interesting yet boil me to a legitimate can't-breathe panic state. I'm so afraid of running across these movies that I tend to avoid anything horror or horror adjacent as a result.

The 1970s Amityville Horror was probably the first, when I was about 11. The Babadook was the most recent, although even the brief ghostly parts of Personal Shopper got to me. But there are a few horror movies that I've…
Review by kevvv ★★★★

pretty good, but i have to deduct a star for Darude - Sandstorm