Here’s another eccentric effort that will infuriate a great many viewers. Director Jonathan Glazer is known for focusing his attention on odd characters in films like Sexy Beast and Birth. But the Under the Skin is his darkest and strangest by a country mile. It’s extremely bleak and chilly, but at times boasts some haunting images that do stay with you long after the credits roll.
This vague and interpretive film stars Scarlett Johansson as an otherworldly life form that drives through Scottish neighborhoods, luring men to their deaths. Things eventually become complicated when the alien begins to take a deeper interest in not only the new world she’s inhabiting, but its people as well.
Much like the film Enemy released last month, this is a tone piece emphasizing mood and atmosphere over traditional storytelling. When she’s not hunting for victims, the camera hangs on the alien wordlessly for extended periods of time. Much of it is filmed using minimal or natural light sources that further emphasize the harsh and bleak surroundings. The photography greatly adds to the feeling of alienation to not only its central character, but viewers as well. This is dark stuff, both literally and metaphorically.
The early sections of the film are especially creepy. There are impressively nightmarish images, particularly when visualizing the fate of the victims. Scenes of persons walking across a reflective, black watery surface and falling into liquid nothingness are striking. A particularly jarring moment occurs when revealing what occurs to the prey. Additionally, the reveal of the title character’s real appearance is striking and memorable.
It’s a difficult and demanding role for its star. Playing a character from another world that we know little about and who rarely speaks is a tough sell. One imagines that it must be challenging to play a species mimicking human behavior that often feels and even appears strange and unfathomable. Her physical movements look convincingly awkward at times and as she becomes friendlier, there’s an authentic look of shock and terror to her discoveries. As a performer, it’s an impressive accomplishment.
Obviously, this is a polarizing movie that will not appeal to the vast majority of moviegoers. It is paced very slowly. In fact, one can reasonably argue that it is far too ponderous for its own good. While the opening half of the film is effectively disturbing, it would have been wiser to see more obvious signs of the alien’s transition and appreciation for humankind earlier. This may be the point – the film seems to be suggesting that while the killer alien can find some understanding of humanity, we can be just as pointlessly icy and cruel. However, a near mute creature with a murderous streak is already hard to relate to and most will have already checked out by the time they should be feeling empathy.
Still, one appreciates the ambition of the filmmakers. Under the Skin remains an interesting art film with some impressive and evocative images. It’s a disturbing journey that doesn’t give any answers or leave one with happy thoughts, but it effectively makes you feel the existential isolation of its characters.