Vivarium, or Await Further Instructions. AFI because I personally loved the old-school practical effects feel of it. Vivarium for the undiluted wierdness of it all. Honorable mention to The Tommyknockers for Nostalgia, and Color Out of Space for Nick Cage, the man is like an alien all by himself just living his life.
Memoria, at the moment - saw it recently. Tilda Swinton is amazing in it. Although it definitely is an exploration of much wider topics than just aliens (I think it explores alienation, fear of the other and feeling out of place). It's a fantastically calm, slow and reflective film. It uses audiovisual storytelling too, with amplified ambient sounds and strange noises which seem to just be a part of the surrounding environment.
It’s very difficult to name a favorite, but I recently rewatched “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and was reminded again of how much more realistic that movie deals with how the world would react to aliens trying to make contact with us. I’ve seen many videos on it, snd read many breakdowns over the years, yet very few ever mention how the aliens treat us humans in the film. They are quite literally kidnapping people, and either keeping them alive longer than they would’ve lived otherwise, or and/or displacing them from the time they were abducted. In the end it seems like a happy finale, with humans getting on the ship to report back at a future time. The technology the aliens display is so beyond any scientist’s, or even military person’s mind, that there is no discussion of attacking them. The humans who go onto the ship at the end were pre-selected, as they all have visions, or a pull to the destination of where the ship will land. They have no free will, as we see a man lose interest, then leave his family, as if this calling is more important than anything he’s ever known. They abduct the child with a violence that is terrifying, regardless of the fact they didn’t hurt him or the mother. They weren’t going to bring him back to her, just as the pilot, and others from different eras, weren’t brought back. They just drop them off, without a word, to be taken care of by humans. It’s really quite terrifying. The jubilation of realizing the music is how they’re communicating, completely makes people forget that these aliens are imposing their will upon us, without any care for any damage to individuals they’ve done. I just think there is a darker story there, that Spielberg may or may not have intended, or even though about, because we never really know what has been done to the abductees, or what will be done to those chosen, who are leaving everything and everyone they allegedly cared for behind. How many of them even say goodbye to their families? Why were the others taken against their will? I just began seeing the movie differently, as I got older.
This is the ONE! My favorite alien movie for sure. If I start it up to have playing while I'm doing stuff around the house, I end up sitting and watching the whole thing. I am compelled by the visuals and sounds from the get-go. Hypnotized. It draws me in and I don't want it to end. When I first saw it, my thought at the end was, "finally." I mean I felt relief that something like this was finally made to exist. The editing is bold and more of a conscious language. Your analysis was so insightful, as usual. I was looking forward to this video of yours more than any other so far. You have helped me see more clearly what I didn't realize about this gem.
The death scenes in this are the most frightening in any recent movie I can think of. Genuinely disturbing, which so many moviemakers attempt to be but rarely are. The way the men suddenly seem to have their insides sucked out gives you the feeling of life simply being ENDED, with death being immediate, perplexing and final. The sound and music are just perfect.
I just find it funny how people talk so objectively without realizing you’re spewing an opinion. Claiming not many movie makers can do something is just… silly. It’s all subjective.
Yeah and the extended interval of time where everyone knows the guy is doomed except for him. As though the siren-like seduction trance these victims become enthralled within is so absolute nothing can rouse them from it. Idk how well I'm expressing myself here but your comment briought me back there, to that first guys demise. It is SO rare to be moved much at all by a death scene in cinema. I can count on one hand how many have managed to 'get me' like this, even after watching countless creative attempts over the years.
@@TheSCPStudio OP places the “i can think of” in the comment there, it was meant to be a personal opinion and is subjective. This is honestly the weirdest straw man i’ve ever seen.
I'm not a super fan, but strangely it goes well watched back to back with The House That Jack Built. Somewhat similar filming methods, and in one we see a blabbering chauvinist serial killer, and contrary to that in the other a non-speaking "man-eating" alien.
It's far too esoteric to be underrated. It was never conceived as an audience friendly film for the masses. Small productions like UTS are for a very narrow audience of film goers that appreciate stories driven by oblique metaphors.
the idea that the van is almost her ufo, and thats what she uses to abduct men on the streets, and the shock of the streets and being up close to human life... it's so well handled in this film. it really tells so much of the story, just in the camera work and sound design.
I have always thought that this movie perfectly captures the feeling of having an episode of depersonalisation or derealization, and then suddenly being bombarded with total sensory overload where too many things are happening and you can't process them all.
It also reminded me of that alien feeling you feel when you try to go outside and 'live' after long term isolation or depression. Based on personal experience..
Yeah this captures a part of what it feels to be autistic sometimes. There doesn't seem to be a reason to anything anybody is doing and it almost feels like you shouldn't interact with them like you're at a zoo and watching the animals behind the glass. And the feeling of imitation rather than being a real person along with the sharp contrast between audio and visual stimulation at times almost fits too well.
The autistic perspective of the subject is interesting. But for some reason I thought more about psychopathy... I mean the lack of empathy. And the presence apathy, incomprehension, and hunger to devour humans.
Part of the movie that is so interesting to me is that perspective, it really captured the way that I and possibly many other fellow autistic view the world, it's almost like I wasn't part of human society and really feeling like "an alien/outsiders" watching human interaction as if you were watching a species documentary.
The point in which Laura discovers her own reflection is the point in which she identifies her alien existence to the world around her. This form of self-consciousness is what drives her to try and become more human: her attempts to try and eat human food, her attempts at intimacy with another man -- all of which fail due her alien body. Further in the film she starts to learn that the world can be kind, that there is more to life than to *feed*, she becomes open to vulnerability. But upon learning her inability to truly fit into human society, she flees to the woods, which inevitably leads to her death. Such like the man with neurofibromatosis, Glazer teaches us that being self-conscious in a world where you are recognized for your outside appearance (and not what's "under the skin") -- can only lead to misery. (Ultimately there's a lot I can say about this film, it's really beautifully and artistically crafted, and the sound design never fails to make me uncomfortable lol)
"being self-conscious in a world where you are recognized for your outside appearance can only lead to misery." Fantastic summation. I love how this film flips the classic misogynistic trope of the "evil temptress" who seduces men to their ruin... by making the alien the victim in the end. The creature's fatal mistake was attempting to reinvent its inner self to match the expectations of Johanson's male admirers. From that moment on, its beautiful flesh, or "the skin," ceases to be a powerful tool for manipulation, rendering the creature defenseless. By putting its defenses down the predator became the prey... suffering the tragic and violent end often met by women who are defenseless here on Earth.
If anyone enjoyed the movie, the book it’s based on is very short but delves into the alien’s purpose and backstory elegantly. The film captured the novel’s dark atmosphere perfectly.
This makes me not want to read the book to be honest. I think what makes the movie so good is that it dosent bother to explain anything to you and you just have to fill in the gaps and figure stuff out for yourself.
This god damn film, the best film I've ever seen, the perfect depiction of cosmic horror. I've never felt so disturbed and such anxiety after any other film, the beach scene alone is forever burned in my mind. Jonathan Glazer is a true auteur genius.
@@timonkanter368 I read so many comments such as yours. I've always wondered why I never felt anything during the beach scene. I was mourning her boots, and that's all. I am not a sociopath, but that scene puts me in the place of the alien so smoothly, I can just sit back, observe and wonder.
The scene where the group of party girls stop Laura and then drag her along with them made me laugh so much. The expression on Laura’s face is like “what did I get myself into” 😂
I thought it was kind of sweet that they didn't even question her odd behavior and just invited her in their group, probably because she was alone? I think it's pretty common for groups of women to try and protect women who are alone. I'd love it if I was out by myself, and a group of partying girls just swooped me up and took me with them to party lol.
To Laura, it's like us being invited to a cow social gathering. It's like "what the hell are you doing, you're food, you're not supposed to be this advanced".
@@leadpencil-223 I've seen it happen in real life. A woman was being harassed by a man trying to get her into his car, and two women walked up and were like "OMG THERE YOU ARE, we've been looking all over for you, why'd you disappear on us? Anyway we gotta go, nice to meet you dude" and the girl was tearfully thanking them as the girls swiftly whisked her away before the guy could do anything.
Strangely enough, I get this undeniable sense of comfort through the film…Despite its eerie score, disturbing imagery, and the social themes its touching, it triggers me to rewatch the whole thing again. I'm sure the cinematography is doing the strange work but this cold, ruthless film is somehow one of my comfort films…I really don't know why…
it may be because of the theme of being human. Despite the disconcerting alienation of seemingly familiar images, you are always reminded you are not an alien. You are human. It's reassuring.
I feel like that whenever I have to drive anywhere. Seeing people, going about their lives. I was always an introvert anyway but the whole COVID quarantine thing pushed me further into being a shut-in where I don't interact with anyone in person unless I have to go get groceries. I was never good at keeping friends anyway but now I feel more alienated than ever, and it doesn't help that I grew up in a completely different country than from where I now live.
Everything you hear in this film is so entirely and vividly HUMAN, that it feels so INHUMAN to hear. I know that's fucking crazy and doesn't make sense, but it's the only way I can describe how I felt watching it for the first time.
I remember when it first released, a lot of the discussion was about how it managed to make humans going about their everyday lives seem unmistakably like aliens, almost unrecognisable from our own, subjective experience. I think it's testament to how successfully and quickly the film forces you to see through the actual alien's eyes.
Scarlett Johansson always surprises me with the projects she chooses to work with, from blockbuster titles from MCU to independent and arthouse films such as Under the Skin It's a title that I recall being a visual experience, not a lot is said but a huge amount of it is just shown and the soundtrack is just a auditory masterpiece to behold
The first time I saw what I’ll call the Venus flytrap room, and the dissolved body kind of “pop” I was horrified. Equally horrified by the entire rocky beach situation. Every single part of it. The baby, the drowning. It’s all horrifying.
This film was great. It really bothered me. It's as if it frames human life as alien in nature. It's bizarre. I've rarely experienced the feelings I did whilst watching this one. This and Vivarium are incredibly underrated.
@Geeves I've seen it 5 times at least. Each time I see different things or think I've figured another thing out. I just think it's a zoo for people so the aliens can learn and better assimilate. It's just a complicated game.
An absolute masterpiece. I think one of the most "Kubrick" films I've seen, which is not to take away the original genius behind it. Brilliant from start to end.
Yes, I agree wholeheartedly! I immediately picked up on a “Kubrickian” vibe from the opening shots. The score, the striking vibrant colors, the mesmerizing atmosphere etc. IMO, this is a perfect film, there’s nothing I would add or take away. Sad that many people haven’t seen it or even heard of it
Right? The leitmotif of the abduction/predatory violin strings weaving their way through the score in that unsettling, unearthly way, seeping back in at the end when Laura herself is being hunted....pure brilliance.
The moments of absolute silence always felt like an expression of her missing context for the ambient sounds that would be in that scene. She had no context for those sounds so, because of our shared tether, we did not.
I studied this film at school, and have had the privilege of being able to digest it over the past 4 years, and yet even in spite of this I never thought about how restricted the sound design is to her perspective, or how Glazer opts against including the alien and her subjects in the same shot, only to then subvert that precedent in that one two-shot. This was a great video that helped me to appreciate what sets this film apart even more.
When i saw this movie i was intrigued but left with many questions, that lead me to read the book and was blown away by it. I highly recommend the book.
The book is way inferior to the film. I was disapointed when I read it. The Dog People aliens described in the book and all the detail of their motives take away all the moody mystery of the film that doesnt attempt to explain itself.
one of my favourite movies, so unique and original. After seeing this video I love it even more. Such quality youtube-content, it doesnt get better than this.
It will disturb you, and not just the extreme accents of the men who get picked up. Scarlett Johansson gives a fearless performance, which the film would not work without.
What happened to Johnathan Glazer ? We need him back, I love this film so much. Saw it in the cinema when it came out and I was speechless for about 5 hours after.
@@toddpinkstonisgod I just checked at random through the history channels on telly - it's Hitler all the way down. Nazi this, Hitler that, Holocaust this, Himmler that. It's relentless. Absolutely sick of it. It's a religion at this point.
This movie is my most favourite movie. I saw it when I first moved to England temporarily from Australia and felt somewhat like Laura. I felt so alien in my situation I just burst into tears. Even though I spoke the same language as everyone around me, I was different and some people I couldn’t understand what they said (accents) and they didn’t understand me. I used to wear my high heel boots walking the streets listening to the score and embrace my inner Laura.
That friggin beach scene set my maternal instincts into overdrive and it is the sole reason why, despite loving this film, I will never watch it again.
This is one of those instances where I knew I missed the point of the film and so I wasn't sure if I liked it. Thank you for putting me into her world, and explaining the presence of these intense feelings I wasn't fully grasping. I'll probably watch it again now with new eyes
Hey, I live in a van so this film resonates for me in different ways. A similar feeling to when I move my entire life through the streets of a new town/city looking for a place to park for the night. Passers by are probably oblivious, but to me seem vigilant because of my arrival. When the curtains are closed, I can only hear the muffled conversations of passers by and can barely make out a word. I'm strangely detached from the world just outside the van. All that said, I don't peel the skin off dudes. Not yet, anyway.
I'm so glad I randomly decided to check this movie out a few years ago. Such a hidden gem. Your analysis was entertaining and insightful as always, dude.
Every time you analysis a movie the enjoyment I have for it is enhanced two fold. Another note, your choice of music is always so good I cannot help but to want to buy the soundtrack
I like the focus on eyes in this movie, if you know film making you know giving the eye an eye light makes the actor look more alive, now notice how they deliberately remove Scarlett Johansson's eyelight in some scenes to make her look more alien.
Glad I happened across this. Scarlett Johansson's trilogy of "questioning" movies, including Jonze's "Her" and Besson's "Lucy," as well as "Under The Skin," are indeed fascinating. Glazer really does otherworldliness better than most, bringing a new level of acting chops out of Johansson. You could make an argument for Sofia Coppola doing something similar in "Lost In Translation," but the focal point is Bill Murray's character, who is "out of place" and how he reacts to his environment, rather than Johansson herself. Plus this film informs much of why directors like Nolan and Villeneuve use similar visual language, and why Alex Garland used the juxtaposition of nature and human artifice in "Ex Machina." With Glazer's sensitive direction, Scarlett Johansson is more than just another ingenue or muse, as if she ever was in the first place, she's a collaborator and contributor to that visual language. She's one of my favourite actors, and "Under The Skin" especially, lingers in the consciousness.
its a testament to your power that a movie so successfully eerie and disquieting through your interpretation can turn heartwarming :o somehow this creature feature is actually a tender redemption??? just wow
Was BLOWN AWAY BY THIS MOVIE when it came out! Its SO INCREDIBLY UNDERRATED. It plays out like a slow, textless comic. Such a wonderful, dark, and hallowing movie from beginning to end. Thanks for this video, I hope more people watch it because of it!
Under the Skin is good old science fiction, back to the old school. A cunning way of getting Scarlett Johansson to get her kit off under the pretense of it being a "dark and mysterious" story about somethingaratherwhatsit - oldest trick in the book. Good job!!!
I really love the approach of ‘disturbing’ the audience by exploring a film from a non-human alien perspective, by undoing the basic assumptions and narrative requirements we have as a social primate species that relies on linear gradual ‘character development’.
This was one of the most uncomfortable yet fascinating movies I've ever seen. I tried recommending this movie to friends but didn't even know how or how to describe, what it is about. So great video. Finding the words to talk about this movie truly isn't easy :D *Apan (2009) was a movie that left me in a comparable confusion of emotions. Tried finding videos about it after watching it but couldn't find a single one. Maybe it could be a future project of yours :D At the very least I'd be very interested in what you thought of the film, if you've watched it.
I wish I could express this in a better way, but this film genuinely reminds me and makes me think of the autistic experience. How on my lowest days, when I'm feeling the biggest disconnect, this film simulates what I go through on those days perfectly. The overstimulation, the overwhelming sound, how our perception and perspective tends to make things that ARE human genuinely difficult to grasp sometimes. It's just beautiful, and hurts my soul in a really meaningful way. It hurts because a movie about a alien is what makes me feel the most seen. Just something to think about
I watched an extraordinary interpretation of this film and was like, ok, I now fully understand this movie. But then, out of curiosity I watched this one, and I’m so delighted I did. I appreciate this type of in-depth analysis!
Why why why was this film not a massive hit ? This film is perfect. Take all your Aliens and Star Wars , it was this film that truly made me feel alien. I'd love to know what made Scarlett choose this project.
Me and my mate saw this in the cinema and walked out thinking it was terrible. The next morning we both thought it was a masterpiece. It just has so many haunting visuals that stick with you.
Haha, that reminds me of "Audition". I hated it. I cursed my friend who recommended it to me. Why would anyone do this to me?? Then the next day I was pushing it on everyone.
I watched this movie on an ultra HD tv using my AirPods Pro ear buds. Hearing the subtle sound differences like when the guys were floating naked or the muted sound in the white room. Man, rewatch with good headphones. You’ll like it that much more.
for me, this film is about being a neurodivergent. i didn't know it has a name and what it was back when i first watched the film, all i knew was i felt like this alien all the time. as in, you experience everything differently from other people, ordinary things can be so strange to you, loud noises and crowd upset you, people feel strange to you, and you don't really know how to connect and communicate with others, and then there's all the maskings and self isolating to protect yourself and fit in a strange world. Also, i think the beach scene is a reference to the "Tragedy by the Sea" photo that won a Pulitzer in 1955. It's a photo of a distressing couple on a beach realizing that they have just lost their baby to the waves. The photographer didn't know the full story until later, when got the prize he was still detached from the tragedy like this alien.
Loved the video! I wanted to make a recommendation since you seem to like to cover Gaspar Noe’s films, his favorite of mine ever is Climax. I think visually, structurally and technically it’s his masterpiece. (So far, he could make something I like better in the future.) I’d love to see a long in depth review of the film, especially about its cinematography which I think is just pure art. It’s also the one film of his that truly gives me a sick, anxiety type of feeling in the second half. It’s one of my favorite films ever and I just wanted to throw out the recommendation. Love your videos!
The soundtrack in this film has to be the absolute goat of its genre. Can't think of any other soundtrack that makes your breath stop and heart beat irregularly quite like this film's does.
I've never quite understood the movie at all but it's always stayed with me. Such a gem. It was so mesmerising the first time I watched it. And when we first learnt what they were doing with the guys she lured, that was not unexpected but still shocking. Thank you for helping me make some sense. I agree I was mesmerised along with the alien to discover what it was to live like a human.
Classic example of less is more. The book sounded fun to me and the ending was interesting but this movie is successfully one of the creepiest films ever cause it leaves it up to your imagination to figure everything out. And the the open ending, will that failed mission make them move to a different planet cause the handler couldn’t find her? Who knows but that race is fuckin terrifying.
You make the best analysis videos. Genuinely love them. Because of your vivarium breakdown I had a realization Of the coherent nature it shares with cube 1994, both kinda have a nihilistic look at society, there is no way out. there is no point. there is no big brother. love you breakdowns
I've been thinking about this comment. What did that scene add to the movie? Nothing. It was inserted purely to cause pain in the audience. It isn't in the book, which can be read on the Internet Archive, and actually has something to say instead of imagining it does.
love this picture. saw it many times. i can talk about it forever but it seems i will never find right words to describe it. it's truly out of this world
Okay ,you dissected this film eloquently . One of the most weirdest movies I’ve seen in a while especially the whole thing is about a murderous alien being that even the sounds and the lack of is very strange and off putting that left me with more questions than answers like what were they doing with the men were they food , fuel or more disguises for future abductions? But it was a very unforgettable movie. I need a back story on what part of where these creatures came from and what caused them to come here, this would be interesting to see.
This is an interesting film school disection of the film, but you can be oblivious to all of it and still be deeply affected. This movie had me brooding for at least a week. It's really a simple plot IMO. The main character starts as a sort of automaton, agent, or pawn, with practically no awareness of self, and externally motivated, but later, she forms an embryonic self and the desire to join humanity. She actually thinks she can, and makes a few halting attempts, until the end, when she finds out what she really is, or more exactly, what she really is NOT. Such a riveting, painful, despairing ending. You feel as incredulous as she (it) probably does, waking up to the fact that you never were what you thought you were, and what you were reaching for was impossible.
It's quite different from the book and is altogether driven by the meagre budget constraints and amazing sound design. The film feels more alien, etherial and otherworldly, especially the way the humans are processed. Excellent film.
This is indeed quite an interesting movie, like a bizarre 1 hour something long Björk vidéo, if the analogy serves… it takes us on a journey of exploration, of discovery of the different kinds of fears that may lie deep within us, unnoticed, and silent… watching this film took me in a meditative like vision at times. It presents another kind of terror that is not always present in the human psyche, in a conscious state, since we take everything for granted. It is aggressively contemplative and eerie at times. It achieves making you feel the silence and the void of nothingness, the abandonment and the meaningless desire of saving that which is beyond our control, a silence that provides the overpowering sensation of not being able to feel the life running under your skin, that the world around you crushed you under the passing time. I’m sure we have all felt like aliens in our own planet every once in a while. This movie is unique, since it makes you feel the unknown danger lurking anywhere around the next corner, behind the eyes of the incognito and the unintelligible chatter of people in public places, where anyone can be the predated or the predator, unknowingly, and makes you witness the vain fleeting moments of human passion, the tremors of the uncontrollable, in both physical and emotional dimensions, and then, we have the juxtaposed incomprehensible power of the untamed nature that roars with or without expecting eyes on earth as background. All this combined made this film a future cult gem for the aficionados of the genre.
Jonathan Glazer may be the closest we have to a living Kubrick. Few films at long intervals: Sexy Beast (2000), Birth (2004), Under the Skin (2013), The Zone of Interest (upcoming), a similar interest in subject matter, photographic framing, soundtracks, a similar icy tone leavened only by wry humor. I've now seen Under the Skin four times, and each time it retains its impact. It actually became a litmus test for whether I'd pay much attention to critics other picks of films of the last decade.
Stanley Kubrick style directing all the way. I have to see it. Im buying this film for sure. Glazer does exactly what Kubrick does he makes you see things vicariously through your main character. Just like Malcom McDowell in Clockwork Orange.
What's YOUR favourite ALIEN film?
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Vivarium, or Await Further Instructions. AFI because I personally loved the old-school practical effects feel of it. Vivarium for the undiluted wierdness of it all.
Honorable mention to The Tommyknockers for Nostalgia, and Color Out of Space for Nick Cage, the man is like an alien all by himself just living his life.
Memoria, at the moment - saw it recently. Tilda Swinton is amazing in it. Although it definitely is an exploration of much wider topics than just aliens (I think it explores alienation, fear of the other and feeling out of place). It's a fantastically calm, slow and reflective film. It uses audiovisual storytelling too, with amplified ambient sounds and strange noises which seem to just be a part of the surrounding environment.
It’s very difficult to name a favorite, but I recently rewatched “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and was reminded again of how much more realistic that movie deals with how the world would react to aliens trying to make contact with us.
I’ve seen many videos on it, snd read many breakdowns over the years, yet very few ever mention how the aliens treat us humans in the film.
They are quite literally kidnapping people, and either keeping them alive longer than they would’ve lived otherwise, or and/or displacing them from the time they were abducted.
In the end it seems like a happy finale, with humans getting on the ship to report back at a future time.
The technology the aliens display is so beyond any scientist’s, or even military person’s mind, that there is no discussion of attacking them.
The humans who go onto the ship at the end were pre-selected, as they all have visions, or a pull to the destination of where the ship will land. They have no free will, as we see a man lose interest, then leave his family, as if this calling is more important than anything he’s ever known. They abduct the child with a violence that is terrifying, regardless of the fact they didn’t hurt him or the mother. They weren’t going to bring him back to her, just as the pilot, and others from different eras, weren’t brought back. They just drop them off, without a word, to be taken care of by humans.
It’s really quite terrifying. The jubilation of realizing the music is how they’re communicating, completely makes people forget that these aliens are imposing their will upon us, without any care for any damage to individuals they’ve done.
I just think there is a darker story there, that Spielberg may or may not have intended, or even though about, because we never really know what has been done to the abductees, or what will be done to those chosen, who are leaving everything and everyone they allegedly cared for behind. How many of them even say goodbye to their families?
Why were the others taken against their will?
I just began seeing the movie differently, as I got older.
This is the ONE! My favorite alien movie for sure. If I start it up to have playing while I'm doing stuff around the house, I end up sitting and watching the whole thing. I am compelled by the visuals and sounds from the get-go. Hypnotized. It draws me in and I don't want it to end. When I first saw it, my thought at the end was, "finally." I mean I felt relief that something like this was finally made to exist. The editing is bold and more of a conscious language. Your analysis was so insightful, as usual. I was looking forward to this video of yours more than any other so far. You have helped me see more clearly what I didn't realize about this gem.
well, Alien.
The death scenes in this are the most frightening in any recent movie I can think of. Genuinely disturbing, which so many moviemakers attempt to be but rarely are. The way the men suddenly seem to have their insides sucked out gives you the feeling of life simply being ENDED, with death being immediate, perplexing and final. The sound and music are just perfect.
I just find it funny how people talk so objectively without realizing you’re spewing an opinion. Claiming not many movie makers can do something is just… silly. It’s all subjective.
Agreed. Those stayed with me for a long time afterward. When I rewatched I had to look away knowing what was coming and how much it affected me.
Yeah and the extended interval of time where everyone knows the guy is doomed except for him. As though the siren-like seduction trance these victims become enthralled within is so absolute nothing can rouse them from it.
Idk how well I'm expressing myself here but your comment briought me back there, to that first guys demise. It is SO rare to be moved much at all by a death scene in cinema. I can count on one hand how many have managed to 'get me' like this, even after watching countless creative attempts over the years.
@@TheSCPStudio OP places the “i can think of” in the comment there, it was meant to be a personal opinion and is subjective. This is honestly the weirdest straw man i’ve ever seen.
@@TheSCPStudio the phrase meant was “a feeling few movie makers elicit from me, and others like me”
God I love this film. It even feels like it was directed by an alien. One of the most criminally underrated SF films this decade.
You’re not wrong, outstanding film!
I'm not a super fan, but strangely it goes well watched back to back with The House That Jack Built. Somewhat similar filming methods, and in one we see a blabbering chauvinist serial killer, and contrary to that in the other a non-speaking "man-eating" alien.
It's far too esoteric to be underrated. It was never conceived as an audience friendly film for the masses. Small productions like UTS are for a very narrow audience of film goers that appreciate stories driven by oblique metaphors.
criminally...
@@johnnyfavorite1194 it's only for clever people, am I right?
the idea that the van is almost her ufo, and thats what she uses to abduct men on the streets, and the shock of the streets and being up close to human life... it's so well handled in this film. it really tells so much of the story, just in the camera work and sound design.
yeah instead of a UFO its IDO (identified driving object)
"I DO ",hmmmmm i wonder if we just unlocked a hidden code in the movie together unintentionally
I have always thought that this movie perfectly captures the feeling of having an episode of depersonalisation or derealization, and then suddenly being bombarded with total sensory overload where too many things are happening and you can't process them all.
It also reminded me of that alien feeling you feel when you try to go outside and 'live' after long term isolation or depression. Based on personal experience..
Yeah this captures a part of what it feels to be autistic sometimes. There doesn't seem to be a reason to anything anybody is doing and it almost feels like you shouldn't interact with them like you're at a zoo and watching the animals behind the glass. And the feeling of imitation rather than being a real person along with the sharp contrast between audio and visual stimulation at times almost fits too well.
The autistic perspective of the subject is interesting.
But for some reason I thought more about psychopathy... I mean the lack of empathy. And the presence apathy, incomprehension, and hunger to devour humans.
Part of the movie that is so interesting to me is that perspective, it really captured the way that I and possibly many other fellow autistic view the world, it's almost like I wasn't part of human society and really feeling like "an alien/outsiders" watching human interaction as if you were watching a species documentary.
The point in which Laura discovers her own reflection is the point in which she identifies her alien existence to the world around her. This form of self-consciousness is what drives her to try and become more human: her attempts to try and eat human food, her attempts at intimacy with another man -- all of which fail due her alien body. Further in the film she starts to learn that the world can be kind, that there is more to life than to *feed*, she becomes open to vulnerability. But upon learning her inability to truly fit into human society, she flees to the woods, which inevitably leads to her death.
Such like the man with neurofibromatosis, Glazer teaches us that being self-conscious in a world where you are recognized for your outside appearance (and not what's "under the skin") -- can only lead to misery.
(Ultimately there's a lot I can say about this film, it's really beautifully and artistically crafted, and the sound design never fails to make me uncomfortable lol)
So basically despite being advanced enough to travel space, they’re just creatures of instinct at the end of the day?
"being self-conscious in a world where you are recognized for your outside appearance can only lead to misery."
Fantastic summation. I love how this film flips the classic misogynistic trope of the "evil temptress" who seduces men to their ruin... by making the alien the victim in the end. The creature's fatal mistake was attempting to reinvent its inner self to match the expectations of Johanson's male admirers. From that moment on, its beautiful flesh, or "the skin," ceases to be a powerful tool for manipulation, rendering the creature defenseless. By putting its defenses down the predator became the prey... suffering the tragic and violent end often met by women who are defenseless here on Earth.
If anyone enjoyed the movie, the book it’s based on is very short but delves into the alien’s purpose and backstory elegantly. The film captured the novel’s dark atmosphere perfectly.
The film is way way more sophisticated than the book. I was really disapointed when I read the novel, its no masterpiece.
@@harveydean7952 I totally agree. The movie is great, the book is 'don't waste your time'
This is one of those rare cases where the film is actually better than the book.
I could do with some “don’t waste your time and get to the lore”
This makes me not want to read the book to be honest. I think what makes the movie so good is that it dosent bother to explain anything to you and you just have to fill in the gaps and figure stuff out for yourself.
This god damn film, the best film I've ever seen, the perfect depiction of cosmic horror. I've never felt so disturbed and such anxiety after any other film, the beach scene alone is forever burned in my mind. Jonathan Glazer is a true auteur genius.
I couldn't bare the baby on that beach.
@@timonkanter368 I read so many comments such as yours. I've always wondered why I never felt anything during the beach scene. I was mourning her boots, and that's all. I am not a sociopath, but that scene puts me in the place of the alien so smoothly, I can just sit back, observe and wonder.
aLIEn = beLIEve 🤔🤫
@@ThePitchblue what are the triggers that you are sensitive to? I can't hear/watch children in distress.
@@keatherel8587 Yes words are made up of letters, some of those letters are the same lol
The scene where the group of party girls stop Laura and then drag her along with them made me laugh so much. The expression on Laura’s face is like “what did I get myself into” 😂
I thought it was kind of sweet that they didn't even question her odd behavior and just invited her in their group, probably because she was alone? I think it's pretty common for groups of women to try and protect women who are alone. I'd love it if I was out by myself, and a group of partying girls just swooped me up and took me with them to party lol.
To Laura, it's like us being invited to a cow social gathering. It's like "what the hell are you doing, you're food, you're not supposed to be this advanced".
@@leadpencil-223 I've seen it happen in real life. A woman was being harassed by a man trying to get her into his car, and two women walked up and were like "OMG THERE YOU ARE, we've been looking all over for you, why'd you disappear on us? Anyway we gotta go, nice to meet you dude" and the girl was tearfully thanking them as the girls swiftly whisked her away before the guy could do anything.
@@leadpencil-223 yes agreed!
@@leadpencil-223Aye that's Scots for you
Strangely enough, I get this undeniable sense of comfort through the film…Despite its eerie score, disturbing imagery, and the social themes its touching, it triggers me to rewatch the whole thing again. I'm sure the cinematography is doing the strange work but this cold, ruthless film is somehow one of my comfort films…I really don't know why…
me too! very odd, but it gives immense comfort for me as-well. i can even listen to the score in it’s entirety among doing random things baha
Same here.
cause of the real scenes with hidden cameras
it may be because of the theme of being human. Despite the disconcerting alienation of seemingly familiar images, you are always reminded you are not an alien. You are human. It's reassuring.
I feel like that whenever I have to drive anywhere. Seeing people, going about their lives. I was always an introvert anyway but the whole COVID quarantine thing pushed me further into being a shut-in where I don't interact with anyone in person unless I have to go get groceries. I was never good at keeping friends anyway but now I feel more alienated than ever, and it doesn't help that I grew up in a completely different country than from where I now live.
Everything you hear in this film is so entirely and vividly HUMAN, that it feels so INHUMAN to hear. I know that's fucking crazy and doesn't make sense, but it's the only way I can describe how I felt watching it for the first time.
That's a quite accurate description I would say.
It has alot of uncanny valley moments for sure.
I remember when it first released, a lot of the discussion was about how it managed to make humans going about their everyday lives seem unmistakably like aliens, almost unrecognisable from our own, subjective experience. I think it's testament to how successfully and quickly the film forces you to see through the actual alien's eyes.
beLIEve
You described it perfectly. The film shows what humanity actually is and not what humanity wants itself to be.
Scarlett Johansson always surprises me with the projects she chooses to work with, from blockbuster titles from MCU to independent and arthouse films such as Under the Skin
It's a title that I recall being a visual experience, not a lot is said but a huge amount of it is just shown and the soundtrack is just a auditory masterpiece to behold
The first time I saw what I’ll call the Venus flytrap room, and the dissolved body kind of “pop” I was horrified. Equally horrified by the entire rocky beach situation. Every single part of it. The baby, the drowning. It’s all horrifying.
I shit myself when I saw the guy was still alive before being sucked out as if by a massive vacuum cleaner
Another example of quality over quantity.
This film was great. It really bothered me. It's as if it frames human life as alien in nature. It's bizarre. I've rarely experienced the feelings I did whilst watching this one. This and Vivarium are incredibly underrated.
@Geeves I've seen it 5 times at least. Each time I see different things or think I've figured another thing out. I just think it's a zoo for people so the aliens can learn and better assimilate. It's just a complicated game.
An absolute masterpiece. I think one of the most "Kubrick" films I've seen, which is not to take away the original genius behind it. Brilliant from start to end.
Yes, I agree wholeheartedly! I immediately picked up on a “Kubrickian” vibe from the opening shots. The score, the striking vibrant colors, the mesmerizing atmosphere etc.
IMO, this is a perfect film, there’s nothing I would add or take away.
Sad that many people haven’t seen it or even heard of it
Mica Levi did an unbelievably good job on the score
Right? The leitmotif of the abduction/predatory violin strings weaving their way through the score in that unsettling, unearthly way, seeping back in at the end when Laura herself is being hunted....pure brilliance.
The moments of absolute silence always felt like an expression of her missing context for the ambient sounds that would be in that scene. She had no context for those sounds so, because of our shared tether, we did not.
I studied this film at school, and have had the privilege of being able to digest it over the past 4 years, and yet even in spite of this I never thought about how restricted the sound design is to her perspective, or how Glazer opts against including the alien and her subjects in the same shot, only to then subvert that precedent in that one two-shot. This was a great video that helped me to appreciate what sets this film apart even more.
When i saw this movie i was intrigued but left with many questions, that lead me to read the book and was blown away by it. I highly recommend the book.
Omg thank you for posting this I just bought it!! So excited fuck yeah dude
Is the book title the same?
@@davetinoco Yes. Its "under the skin" by Michel Faber.
The book is way inferior to the film. I was disapointed when I read it. The Dog People aliens described in the book and all the detail of their motives take away all the moody mystery of the film that doesnt attempt to explain itself.
@@harveydean7952 Completely agree there. The plot of the book is so over used it isn't even funny
one of my favourite movies, so unique and original. After seeing this video I love it even more. Such quality youtube-content, it doesnt get better than this.
It will disturb you, and not just the extreme accents of the men who get picked up. Scarlett Johansson gives a fearless performance, which the film would not work without.
"Extreme accents"? Wtf? You mean, Glasgow accents ?
What happened to Johnathan Glazer ? We need him back, I love this film so much. Saw it in the cinema when it came out and I was speechless for about 5 hours after.
He’s made a WWII/Holocaust-related film that should be coming out within the next year or so.
@@toddpinkstonisgod Dammit...
I'll skip that one.
@@ThunderChunky101 oh…ok. Why?
@@toddpinkstonisgod I just checked at random through the history channels on telly - it's Hitler all the way down.
Nazi this, Hitler that, Holocaust this, Himmler that.
It's relentless.
Absolutely sick of it.
It's a religion at this point.
@@ThunderChunky101what’s wrong with that?
This movie is my most favourite movie. I saw it when I first moved to England temporarily from Australia and felt somewhat like Laura. I felt so alien in my situation I just burst into tears. Even though I spoke the same language as everyone around me, I was different and some people I couldn’t understand what they said (accents) and they didn’t understand me. I used to wear my high heel boots walking the streets listening to the score and embrace my inner Laura.
You killed men and a baby?
except it wasn't in England ? It was filmed in Scotland and the people are Scottish which is quite different, you realise that ?
In my opinion, this is a perfect film. It’s severely underrated and under-appreciated. I love it so much! Great video man!!
This one is in my top 5 all-time favorites. It's an absolute masterpiece that just gets better with repeated viewings, IMO.
That friggin beach scene set my maternal instincts into overdrive and it is the sole reason why, despite loving this film, I will never watch it again.
This is one of those instances where I knew I missed the point of the film and so I wasn't sure if I liked it. Thank you for putting me into her world, and explaining the presence of these intense feelings I wasn't fully grasping. I'll probably watch it again now with new eyes
Hey, I live in a van so this film resonates for me in different ways.
A similar feeling to when I move my entire life through the streets of a new town/city looking for a place to park for the night. Passers by are probably oblivious, but to me seem vigilant because of my arrival.
When the curtains are closed, I can only hear the muffled conversations of passers by and can barely make out a word. I'm strangely detached from the world just outside the van.
All that said, I don't peel the skin off dudes. Not yet, anyway.
Interesting, how long have you been staying in your van Scoob?😄
I'm so glad I randomly decided to check this movie out a few years ago. Such a hidden gem. Your analysis was entertaining and insightful as always, dude.
Every time you analysis a movie the enjoyment I have for it is enhanced two fold.
Another note, your choice of music is always so good I cannot help but to want to buy the soundtrack
I like the focus on eyes in this movie, if you know film making you know giving the eye an eye light makes the actor look more alive, now notice how they deliberately remove Scarlett Johansson's eyelight in some scenes to make her look more alien.
Oh, true!
Glad I happened across this. Scarlett Johansson's trilogy of "questioning" movies, including Jonze's "Her" and Besson's "Lucy," as well as "Under The Skin," are indeed fascinating. Glazer really does otherworldliness better than most, bringing a new level of acting chops out of Johansson. You could make an argument for Sofia Coppola doing something similar in "Lost In Translation," but the focal point is Bill Murray's character, who is "out of place" and how he reacts to his environment, rather than Johansson herself. Plus this film informs much of why directors like Nolan and Villeneuve use similar visual language, and why Alex Garland used the juxtaposition of nature and human artifice in "Ex Machina." With Glazer's sensitive direction, Scarlett Johansson is more than just another ingenue or muse, as if she ever was in the first place, she's a collaborator and contributor to that visual language. She's one of my favourite actors, and "Under The Skin" especially, lingers in the consciousness.
The movie perfectly describes how it feels to experience dissociation attack. The whole world feels so alien.
This movie hammers home how strange our world may seem to aliens by putting us in the shoes of an alien.
Mica Levis score is probably one of my favorites of all time
I love the soundtrack. I play a lot of interesting soundtracks when I paint.
One of the best channels I've stumbled upon for reviews. Keep it up.
The snow and the smoke image is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of cinema. It has so much meaning and is so abstract at the same time.
its a testament to your power that a movie so successfully eerie and disquieting through your interpretation can turn heartwarming :o
somehow this creature feature is actually a tender redemption??? just wow
I absolutely love this movie. I watched it randomly one day when i was bored and it blew my mind
youve been putting in a hell of a lot of work lately and its great
Another masterpiece from Spikima! Man this is about to be a good evening spent!
Was BLOWN AWAY BY THIS MOVIE when it came out! Its SO INCREDIBLY UNDERRATED. It plays out like a slow, textless comic. Such a wonderful, dark, and hallowing movie from beginning to end. Thanks for this video, I hope more people watch it because of it!
Under the Skin is good old science fiction, back to the old school. A cunning way of getting Scarlett Johansson to get her kit off under the pretense of it being a "dark and mysterious" story about somethingaratherwhatsit - oldest trick in the book. Good job!!!
I really love the approach of ‘disturbing’ the audience by exploring a film from a non-human alien perspective, by undoing the basic assumptions and narrative requirements we have as a social primate species that relies on linear gradual ‘character development’.
I love this film. The atmosphere and sound design are insane, along with the unique visuals and sparse storytelling. It really stands on its own
MY FAVORITE FILM OF ALL TIME !
I couldn't explain why this movie was a masterpiece but I could feel it even during my first watch
This was one of the most uncomfortable yet fascinating movies I've ever seen. I tried recommending this movie to friends but didn't even know how or how to describe, what it is about.
So great video. Finding the words to talk about this movie truly isn't easy :D
*Apan (2009) was a movie that left me in a comparable confusion of emotions. Tried finding videos about it after watching it but couldn't find a single one. Maybe it could be a future project of yours :D At the very least I'd be very interested in what you thought of the film, if you've watched it.
Same here I watched mother! And never forgot.
@@Michael-lg4wz Oh yeah. That movie was something different alright :D Also incredibly uncomfortable. But for different reasons than Under the Skin :)
Yes thank you for doing under the skin !!! I recommended it on one of your last videos 😁
That recommendation certainly played a part ;)
I wish I could express this in a better way, but this film genuinely reminds me and makes me think of the autistic experience. How on my lowest days, when I'm feeling the biggest disconnect, this film simulates what I go through on those days perfectly. The overstimulation, the overwhelming sound, how our perception and perspective tends to make things that ARE human genuinely difficult to grasp sometimes. It's just beautiful, and hurts my soul in a really meaningful way. It hurts because a movie about a alien is what makes me feel the most seen. Just something to think about
Everytime when Scarlett films in the UK she produces something amazing
Upcoming movie North Star will also be one to watch out for ✨
I watched an extraordinary interpretation of this film and was like, ok, I now fully understand this movie. But then, out of curiosity I watched this one, and I’m so delighted I did. I appreciate this type of in-depth analysis!
One of the best films of my lifetime.
Also filmed a lot of it in Glasgow so love it even more, they caught the very grimy feel to the city.
Why why why was this film not a massive hit ?
This film is perfect.
Take all your Aliens and Star Wars , it was this film that truly made me feel alien.
I'd love to know what made Scarlett choose this project.
Because it's a bit of an artsy movie with a pretty vague story, most audiences will probably not like it because of that.
The band TesseracT wrote a song inspired by this movie for their album Sonder. It's called "Beneath My Skin".
This film is a visual landmark, and an instant classic.
This was a beautiful dissection of this, very interesting movie.
Thank you.
your style analysis is always so amazing!
Me and my mate saw this in the cinema and walked out thinking it was terrible. The next morning we both thought it was a masterpiece. It just has so many haunting visuals that stick with you.
Haha, that reminds me of "Audition". I hated it. I cursed my friend who recommended it to me. Why would anyone do this to me?? Then the next day I was pushing it on everyone.
@@Dave-cf4vd Yeah that's another one that I liked more overtime. The phone scene is legendary.
Revisiting Jonathan Glazer's filmography after the masterpiece that is Zone of Interest.
Watched it this week and really it was so unique and visually stunning and score was so weird, totally loved it
Great essay as always
I watched this movie on an ultra HD tv using my AirPods Pro ear buds. Hearing the subtle sound differences like when the guys were floating naked or the muted sound in the white room. Man, rewatch with good headphones. You’ll like it that much more.
I did love the book, but I think this is one of the very rare examples where I actually find the film even more incredible.
for me, this film is about being a neurodivergent. i didn't know it has a name and what it was back when i first watched the film, all i knew was i felt like this alien all the time. as in, you experience everything differently from other people, ordinary things can be so strange to you, loud noises and crowd upset you, people feel strange to you, and you don't really know how to connect and communicate with others, and then there's all the maskings and self isolating to protect yourself and fit in a strange world.
Also, i think the beach scene is a reference to the "Tragedy by the Sea" photo that won a Pulitzer in 1955. It's a photo of a distressing couple on a beach realizing that they have just lost their baby to the waves. The photographer didn't know the full story until later, when got the prize he was still detached from the tragedy like this alien.
One of my 10 favourite films of all time!
the scene with the crying toddler on the beach broke me. i turned it off after that.
This is the 'Rosemary's Baby' of the '20s. I recommend this film to anyone who likes SF, and I still think this is SJ's best work
An absolute masterpiece.
The score is what keeps me lookiing up this movie. It's just so surreal.
Loved the video! I wanted to make a recommendation since you seem to like to cover Gaspar Noe’s films, his favorite of mine ever is Climax. I think visually, structurally and technically it’s his masterpiece. (So far, he could make something I like better in the future.) I’d love to see a long in depth review of the film, especially about its cinematography which I think is just pure art. It’s also the one film of his that truly gives me a sick, anxiety type of feeling in the second half. It’s one of my favorite films ever and I just wanted to throw out the recommendation. Love your videos!
I think this is the best film of last decade.
Babe wake up Spikima Movies posted
Mark fisher devoted a chapter to this movie in his book “the weird and the eerie”, I suggest a reading of it to gain more understanding of the film.
And the arrival?
That's my favorite movie
The soundtrack in this film has to be the absolute goat of its genre. Can't think of any other soundtrack that makes your breath stop and heart beat irregularly quite like this film's does.
I REALLY liked this film. Total immersion, complete fear.
I've never quite understood the movie at all but it's always stayed with me. Such a gem. It was so mesmerising the first time I watched it. And when we first learnt what they were doing with the guys she lured, that was not unexpected but still shocking. Thank you for helping me make some sense. I agree I was mesmerised along with the alien to discover what it was to live like a human.
Classic example of less is more. The book sounded fun to me and the ending was interesting but this movie is successfully one of the creepiest films ever cause it leaves it up to your imagination to figure everything out. And the the open ending, will that failed mission make them move to a different planet cause the handler couldn’t find her? Who knows but that race is fuckin terrifying.
Just watched this movie last week. Perfect timing
This movie doesn’t get the respect it deserves
You make the best analysis videos. Genuinely love them. Because of your vivarium breakdown I had a realization Of the coherent nature it shares with cube 1994, both kinda have a nihilistic look at society, there is no way out. there is no point. there is no big brother. love you breakdowns
The part with the baby physically hurts my chest
I've been thinking about this comment. What did that scene add to the movie? Nothing. It was inserted purely to cause pain in the audience. It isn't in the book, which can be read on the Internet Archive, and actually has something to say instead of imagining it does.
love this picture. saw it many times. i can talk about it forever but it seems i will never find right words to describe it. it's truly out of this world
Okay ,you dissected this film eloquently . One of the most weirdest movies I’ve seen in a while especially the whole thing is about a murderous alien being that even the sounds and the lack of is very strange and off putting that left me with more questions than answers like what were they doing with the men were they food , fuel or more disguises for future abductions? But it was a very unforgettable movie. I need a back story on what part of where these creatures came from and what caused them to come here, this would be interesting to see.
there's a book that was written first that explains everything
Top Notch quality as always. Keep up the amazing work
Your the best,dude!!
This soundtrack is incredibly unnerving.
Your channel is great. Keep up the great work! :)
This is an interesting film school disection of the film, but you can be oblivious to all of it and still be deeply affected. This movie had me brooding for at least a week.
It's really a simple plot IMO. The main character starts as a sort of automaton, agent, or pawn, with practically no awareness of self, and externally motivated, but later, she forms an embryonic self and the desire to join humanity. She actually thinks she can, and makes a few halting attempts, until the end, when she finds out what she really is, or more exactly, what she really is NOT. Such a riveting, painful, despairing ending. You feel as incredulous as she (it) probably does, waking up to the fact that you never were what you thought you were, and what you were reaching for was impossible.
Well said.
This was an underrated movie.
It also showed the climate of Scotland.
It's quite different from the book and is altogether driven by the meagre budget constraints and amazing sound design. The film feels more alien, etherial and otherworldly, especially the way the humans are processed. Excellent film.
This is indeed quite an interesting movie, like a bizarre 1 hour something long Björk vidéo, if the analogy serves… it takes us on a journey of exploration, of discovery of the different kinds of fears that may lie deep within us, unnoticed, and silent… watching this film took me in a meditative like vision at times. It presents another kind of terror that is not always present in the human psyche, in a conscious state, since we take everything for granted. It is aggressively contemplative and eerie at times. It achieves making you feel the silence and the void of nothingness, the abandonment and the meaningless desire of saving that which is beyond our control, a silence that provides the overpowering sensation of not being able to feel the life running under your skin, that the world around you crushed you under the passing time. I’m sure we have all felt like aliens in our own planet every once in a while. This movie is unique, since it makes you feel the unknown danger lurking anywhere around the next corner, behind the eyes of the incognito and the unintelligible chatter of people in public places, where anyone can be the predated or the predator, unknowingly, and makes you witness the vain fleeting moments of human passion, the tremors of the uncontrollable, in both physical and emotional dimensions, and then, we have the juxtaposed incomprehensible power of the untamed nature that roars with or without expecting eyes on earth as background. All this combined made this film a future cult gem for the aficionados of the genre.
The soundtrack is so good. Can't get enough of it.
Love this movie so much!! The alien is the monster in the beginning, but by the end man is the monster and the alien feels more human.
Jonathan Glazer may be the closest we have to a living Kubrick. Few films at long intervals: Sexy Beast (2000), Birth (2004), Under the Skin (2013), The Zone of Interest (upcoming), a similar interest in subject matter, photographic framing, soundtracks, a similar icy tone leavened only by wry humor.
I've now seen Under the Skin four times, and each time it retains its impact. It actually became a litmus test for whether I'd pay much attention to critics other picks of films of the last decade.
This was filmed in my city. Watching it was somewhat distracting to me because of this. This vid helped me appreciate it a lot more!
Stanley Kubrick style directing all the way. I have to see it. Im buying this film for sure. Glazer does exactly what Kubrick does he makes you see things vicariously through your main character. Just like Malcom McDowell in Clockwork Orange.