Under The Skin has been 10 years in the making and now that it’s finally ready to hit UK cinemas you might be wondering if it’s worth the wait.
Like a lot of indie flicks, Jonathan Glazer’s new film isn’t the most conventional movie ever made, and if you’re a stalwart chick flick fan, even the fact that it stars Scarlett Johansson might not be enough to entice you. But we think you should give it a chance anyway and here’s why.
It Is Not Your Usual Sci-Fi
Under The Skin may star Scarlett Johansson as an alien who’s landed in Scotland to lure unsuspecting men to their doom, but it’s nothing like any sci-fi you’ve seen before. Spaceships, lasers and little green men have been replaced by a white van, red lipstick and one seriously beautiful brunette, aka Scar-Jo. As the film goes on you’ll soon realise it’s less about the alien’s dark deeds and more about how she reacts to humanity. Under The Skin gives you a rare chance to see how our world must look from the outside, and that alone makes it worth a watch.
Most Of The Cast Aren’t Actors
Most of the people you see in Under The Skin aren’t actually actors, but real people going about their business in Scotland. Director Jonathan Glazer used hidden cameras to film Scarlett Johansson interacting with real life people during scenes, including pulling up next to men in her white van and propositioning them. Occasionally people would recognise the Hollywood starlet but most of the time people couldn’t place her, and Glazer only told them what was going on after the scenes were shot.
The Lack Of Dialogue Will Keep You Gripped
Movies with very little dialogue can lead to you counting down the minutes until you can leave the theatre, but this isn’t the case with Under The Skin. Despite the first 15 minutes of the movie being almost wordless, and the rest of the film not much different, it only adds to the compelling story, rather than distracts. It’s the lack of words that will keep you watching Under The Skin, wondering what will happen rather than wishing it would end.
It Doesn’t Shy Away From Sex
Too many films have sex scenes which add little to the film and feel included just for the sake of it, but thankfully Under The Skin gets it right. From beginning to end, Under The Skin manages to address the elements of sex and nudity in a non-traditional way, meaning it neither shys away from, nor graphically depicts, the sexual content. No mean feat.
You Will Remember Every Second Of It Some films are shocking for the sake of it while others are shocking simply because they’re honest. Under The Skin
Under The Skin is released in the UK on 14 March 2014.