Under the Skin

[Steve Bryant]

I finally managed to watch (it's on Amazon Prime) the dark, moody, hard-to-understand sci-fi movie UNDER THE SKIN, starring Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett plays an alien who has inhabited an earthling's body and who lures single young men to their doom with sex. The magic connection? Every time she is in a room where a television is playing, it is featuring Tommy Cooper. Needless to say, Tommy is, to this alien creature, incomprehensible.

[Richard Kaufman]

You won't find this excellent art film so hard to understand now that Steve has laid out the plot for you.

[AJM]

Filmed in Glasgow.
I understand, in some cases, some of her interactions are with genuine passers-by.

[Joe Mckay]

That is true. Some of the interactions are genuine (using hidden cameras). And then they got them to sign a form agreeing to be in the movie and to shoot an extra scene.

It is such a wonderfully odd movie. Indeed - I didn't fully understand it until I watched this review on YouTube that explains the subtext of the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyW01TOyEKI

For me the film is ultimately about the power of female beauty and the desperation of men for sex with hot women. The alien has no idea how powerful this weapon is and is as confused about it as we are not. As such by looking at the power she has through the eyes of an alien - the viewer gets to look at the strange power of sex (and female beauty) through a fresh pair of eyes.

It is such a great idea for a film. One of the few artistic films that actually has a message that is interesting and worth thinking about.

Scarlet Johansson is a fox - no doubt. But she is not outrageously sexy. But even that is enough for her to easily exploit the men she meets.

Setting it in Glasgow is perfect since - well - let's just say there are not many women who look like Scarlett Johansson walking around. As such - the contrast really works there as you see the genuine desperation of men to interact with a non-ugly girl.

Probably the oddest film I have ever seen.

[observer]

Sounds a bit like Liquid Sky.

[Richard Kaufman]

The movie is easily understood on two viewings.