'Under The Skin' review

Whether you love this film or hate it, you'll finish with the same reaction: HUH?

'Under the Skin' is the story of an extra terrestrial being (Scarlett Johansson) who comes down to Glasgow, Scotland with a partner to harvest human organs for some unknown reason. Her partner takes the form of a motorcycle riding, handsome fellow, as she takes the form of a lovely looking...well...Scarlett Johansson look alike. Only this time sporting a Joan Jett style hair color for good measure. With this form she drives all around Scotland in a van as an alien seductress trying to lure single men into her lair, where they meet a horrible demise.

Along the way she begins to encounter things outside the confines of a windshield and starts to look at human behavior, and she slowly begins to "feel" the basic human emotions from fear to love, much like that of Jeff Bridges in 'Starman'. And then the story goes from a tale of the hunter to a tale of the hunted.

The premise sounds simple enough, but trust me, this is its own thing. This is a movie that feels like Stanley Kubrick had decided to remake 'Species'. But even then, that doesn't truly describe the frighteningly hypnotic nature of this film. The thing is dreamlike, or nightmare-like. The director, Jonathan Glazer, never really settles on one genre, but when this movie is scary...it's REALLY scary. I've sat through two 'Insidious' movies, 'Sinister', 'The Conjuring', and a couple 'Paranormal Activity' flicks, but none even rival the fright this film encapsulates, in my opinion.

Another strange comparison I could use for this movie is Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat. Yes, you read that right. The reason I say that is because much of the early sequences that involve the alien hunter in her van were filmed with actual hidden cameras. Johansson actually talked to many real men walking on the street (all of which you can't understand in their thick Scottish accents), asking if they were single, and if they'd like a ride. Because, let's be honest, if a Scarlett Johansson look alike started asking if you needed a ride, I guarantee 99.9% of guys would jump in, without needing to think twice.

Johansson is incredible in this movie. The way she studies the human prey in the early scenes reminded me of the way the T-800 or T-1000 studied their targets in the first two 'Terminator' films. But then it gets much deeper when she starts to understand the idea of being a human. It never comes in a "EUREKA" moment, but more subtly. An inch by inch thing.

The cinematography is outstanding. Each shot is like a painting. It's incredibly beautiful. It's also complemented well by a terrifically haunting score. Some times the sounds and music blend, and become one crazy hypnotic tune.

I've never seen a film by Jonathan Glazer. Never really cared to know about him till this film. I know a lot of critics love his style, but I've never paid attention. But after seeing this movie, I'm interested in what he can do. This movie is very much his own. Not trying to please anyone but himself, and that's a rare thing in movies nowadays. This is a polarizing movie. There is no shame in disliking this movie at all. It's different and not going to attract the masses. But if you love seeing something different, and maybe a hint of Lynch, Cronenberg and Kubrick, I think you'll love this film as much as I did. I don't really want to watch it again, but I don't think I'll be forgetting it any time soon.

Grade: A

Review by Josh McCormack