Under the Skin (2013)
Even though it is Jonathan Glazer, this was way more arthouse that I thought it would be. This really benefits from being watched in a theater, with the forced attention environment. I am not sure it would have grabbed me equally at home. It is one of those frustrating type films that are all questions and no answers. I still think there was enough to go on to let ones own imagination fill in the blanks on what the hell is going on. And even if you ignore making sense of the plot, there is a deeply rooted intense atmosphere of uneasiness. Glazer sure knows how to make the audience uncomfortable. The scene with the baby on the beach will forever be imprinted in my mind, likely making every parent in the audience sick to their stomach. What makes it even worse is how that scene is shown as just a casual throwaway moment, not vital as such. Or maybe it is, because it worked as a sort of turning point in how the movie is felt. it also makes you worry how that scene was filmed, because you don’t get a 1 year old to act traumatized.
As effective as individual scenes was and the overall atmosphere and style makes for a really unique movie that doesn’t look like anything else, I also think it got a little too hung up in its own weird style that any sort of themes explored was left behind. Which is why I am not rating it higher.
Rating: 3