UNDER THE SKIN

Basically…
A creature of unknown origin takes the form of a human body and drives around Glasgow preying on men. But as she embraces the human experience and ‘grows’ into her adopted skin a bit too comfortably, she soon finds out the true complexity of her new form.

In other words…
A surreal drive around Glasgow with a sexy confused murderer.

The main men and leading ladies…
Scarlett Johansson draws parallels with her most recent hit, Her, as her unnamed character adapts to a new human form and begins to develop feelings and emotions – only this time we can see and not so much hear her. Her targets are innocent Glaswegians flirting with a hot, but unrecognisable Hollywood star, and that becomes an entertaining aspect in itself. Only Paul Brannigan, who follows up his excellent debut in The Angel’s Share, was aware of what was going on, as they secretly filmed unsuspecting victims. And Brannigan, as short as his part may be, does get to boast one of the most chilling and unforgettable scenes in the entire film…

In the chair…
Best known for Sexy Beast, this is a far cry from the crime genre Jonathan Glazer mastered in the 2001 film. The surreal dream sequences, though, share the same tone as Under The Skin, so in some ways there are some similarities. Sexy Beast made him look like a commercial director, but he’s back to his roots with this one, producing artwork as striking as his famous Guinness advert, ‘Surfer’. 

So…?
For a movie that explores human emotions – or lack of – it’s strangely touching and warm. Fewer films will manage to get under your skin like this one, not only because of its chilling soundtrack and gripping plot but also the hypnotic scenes that refuse to spoon feed the viewer the answers they will no doubt be asking the whole way through. The final act is as haunting as the earlier beach scene, as you get an insight into how a human mind develops with emotion. It received mixed reviews at the festivals but it’s fair to say it's deeper than you first expect, and unlike anything else getting released this year.

Worth the money? 
Yes, if you go in with in an open mind.