Under the Skin

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Cast: Scarlett Johansson

Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy/Thriller 2013

Running time: 108 mins.

Rating:★★★★

A voluptuous woman (Scarlett Johanson)  of unknown origin combs the highway 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 Michael Faber, this film 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.

Silence as the opening credits are presented in darkness, then a small light in the distance with the quick strokes of violins. As the light comes closer, it almost seems like a sworm of bees are about to attack and preparing the audience to meet their doom. Curiousity heightens, when a dead girl is carried into a stark white room only for the clothes and the observation of an ant that has been crawling on the corpse. The dark contrast and the ominous soundtrack is absolutely well done. No predictablity, don't know what to expect, or why the main character (Scarlett Johanson) is trying seduce these men. Even with simple dark stage and single spotlight, repeating itself with different guy and it slowly revealing what's happening to her victims. You're left with two things, wow the director must be a huge fan of Kubrick's 2001 Space Odyssey (as far as the cinematography) and what is the ending goal of her seduction? The memories made in a man's life? Why men who alone, lonely, or have no one? Why was the Elephant man set free? Did she only have a limited amount to do what she needed to do and observe "the unknown"?

It's interesting, when she makes an attempt to fit in, but can't so she runs away. Deep into a strange woods, finding what seems to be a friendly stranger, and locks herself in an "abandon" cottage. Who's the lonely outsider now? But is she really alone? 

However, when you stop expecting answers to the plethora of questions in your mind, you can begin to appreciate its beauty. To enjoy the simple things in nature. Perhaps, the film is a commentary to our relationships with people and how it still makes us feels so alone and an outsider, at times. If we aren't careful, we can get hit with how much we're not alone in an unwanted way.