While Scarlett Johansson is known for blockbuster movies like Black Widow and The Prestige, her sci-fi thriller Under the Skin is her most compelling film. Released in 2013 and written by Jonathan Glazer and Walter Campbell, adapted from the novel by Michael Faber, Under the Skin tells the story of a woman who seems to be wandering around Scotland. It's an artistic and fascinating tale that is very different from her other body of work.
A24 distributed the Scarlett Johansson sci-fi movie in the U.S. and it has an 84% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. There is a big twist in Under the Skin that is clear right away. While not everyone will love it, as it can be tough to watch at moments, it's definitely a clever story that has something important to say.
What Is Under The Skin About?
Scarlett Johansson's best movies outside of the MCU include Under the Skin, where the actress plays a nameless alien who pretends to be a woman so she can seduce men. The first part of the movie sees the character finding men on the beach and at a club.
Under the Skin can be seen as one big metaphor for sex and seduction. The movie has a slow pace and a cloying, scary atmosphere, and it all works. On the one hand, it's possible to say that not much happens. Johansson is the entire movie, walking around Glasgow and meeting different people. On the other hand, this is what makes the movie work so well.
It's possible to say that this Scarlett Johansson sci-fi movie uses the trope of the humans are the real monsters. While at first it might seem like she is untrustworthy because she is an alien, she ends up being the innocent one. And that is a brilliant plot point that delves into the heartbreaking topics of assault, harassment, and sexism.
Scarlett Johansson's Performance Is Incredible
Scarlett Johansson's acting in Under the Skin is awe-inspiring and definitely one of the best sci-fi movie performances. She has to do so much without talking, and she shows every possible emotion on her face in every scene. From her confusion over what living in the world is actually like to the determination that she feels, it's all there.
Johansson started her career with smaller, independent films like Lost In Translation and Ghost World. She has always shown a knack for inhabiting characters who are unique and different and can't be put into one easy category. When rewatching those earlier movies, it's easy to see that she would be capable of playing an alien in Under the Skin. At moments, Under the Skin feels like a play, with all eyes on Johansson. She's the perfect actor to pull it off.
If there are elevated horror movies, then Under the Skin could be considered an elevated sci-fi movie that has something smart to say. While Johansson's character may be an alien, she is acting as if she is a woman, and she realizes how scary it can be to a female in the world.
In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Johansson noted the strong message of the movie but said it can be tough for her to think about what it means. She said, "When I watch the film it’s such a personal journey that it’s hard for me to be able to step outside of it and say ‘this is a film about the birth of fear’ or ‘love and sex’ or whatever. I can’t see any of that because I just sit there paralysed with fear. I’m sure in a few years time I’ll be able to go, ‘Wow, there are all of these themes and subjects…’ The other day someone asked Jonathan and I to describe the film and both of us sat there and were like, ‘Next’."
How Does Under The Skin End?
Under the Skin has a very dark and disturbing ending, which is exactly the point. The alien meets a man and spends time at his house, watching TV and eating food. She finds herself outside in a forest and realizes she is being assaulted. She takes her skin off, which is a visually arresting scene, and the man lights her on fire by pouring fuel on her.
It's the kind of scene that is hard to watch and even tougher to forget. And that's definitely on purpose. While this is a heartbreaking way to end the movie, it's hard to see this sci-fi movie having a different ending. The story seems to come to its natural finish as the alien realizes that there is evil in the world that they can't escape. When Johansson's character removes her skin, it's shocking and yet somehow exactly right. She is taking off what people see and exposing the real her, and its an apt and clever metaphor.