Under the Skin gets under your skin, and doesn’t let go. But it wasn’t love at first sight mind you. The first time I watched Jonathan Glazer’s sci-fi indie film, I was left scratching my head. What on earth? What had just happened? Why this, what that?
But the visceral imagery, mesmerizing score (Mica Levi), and, especially, Scarlet Johansson’s daring performance stuck with me for days. Glazer does all but completely throw out the rule-book when it comes to telling a story of alien invasion. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. And, yet, after the first viewing, I was left equally underwhelmed and dumbfounded.
So I gave Under the Skin another go. Then, oddly, I found myself viewing it, again and again. In fact — this was something I had never done before — I watched it on five successive evenings. I love cinema, and Glazer gives us such depth in this film that you can really sink your teeth into any aspect of its production. It’s delicious stuff.
When Johansson, an alien seductress, ensnares her first victim, a random street-goer who accepts a lift, the story begins its rhythmic descent into a world that, amazingly enough, looks just like everyday Scotland. In fact, as we know, it is. There are several featurettes and previews documenting how Glazer and his crew employed miniature cameras (discretely installed into various locations in a white van including several mounted directly into the dashboard) to capture both actors and non-actors interacting in real-time.
