Following a decade-long absence from our screens, Jonathan Glazer, director of Sexy Beast (2000) and Birth (2004), returns with a unique mix of sci-fi, horror and documentary realism. Under The Skin (based on the novel by Michel Faber), sees vapid temptress Laura (Scarlett Johansson) luring men back to a dilapidated, Glaswegian lair (with an en-suite swimming pool of death) and subjecting them to some otherworldly, psychosexual body horror, the nature of which is never revealed yet open to interpretation. Laura then journeys across Scotland, learning about the human condition while an anonymous biker cleans up evidence of her actions.
The sumptuous visuals depicting a dreamlike urban grit evoke the work of Roeg, Kubrick and Lynch. Like those vaunted auteurs, Glazer is hardly prolific but shaping up to be a master in the same mould. The plot is slight but a heaving subtext and extraordinary surrealist sequences bring to mind the finale of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the jittery, paranoia of Performance (1970) and Glazer’s own debut Sexy Beast (2000). There are also story similarities with The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976). Observing Johansson interacting is reminiscent of Bowie’s Thomas Newton as he attempts to fit in with the earthlings, while the actress’ superstar nuances add to the alien qualities, especially when in working class environments. Johansson’s public intermingling grounds the film into a reality that complements the fantastical elements and makes them more disturbing while Mica Levi’s beautifully disjointed score contributes to the disorientation and unease. The narrative dawdles slightly in the second act but has its arcs. Johansson experiencing compassion for the first time adds soul to scenes that, while relevant, slow the film down.
Even though Under The Skin may alienate those whose only experience of sci-fi is mainstream blockbusters, its disturbing, yet eerily wondrous masterpiece melding of genres, is powerful and deployed with Kubrickian rigor; while the Ken Loach style naturalism that grounds the story makes it an unnerving yet unforgettable experience that will resonate and haunt for some time after.
Daniel has awarded Under the Skin five Torches of Truth
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