Under the Skin - Species it is not

It’s fair to say that I didn’t enjoy ‘Under the Skin.’ Perhaps it’s my fault.  I didn’t know that much about the movie before I saw it.  I basically knew the premise, i.e. attractive female alien stalks the streets of Scotland looking for male victims.

Great, I thought – a modern day Species, but with Scarlett Johansson.  How could it fail?  It does.  I guess.

I wasn’t expecting wall-to-wall action and car chases.  I was kind of hoping for a more gritty, realistic take on the old female-killer alien scenario.  However, what I got was an art-house flick with moments of weird horror.

I like to think I can appreciate ‘the weird.’ I don’t just watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!  I like movies that try to take the story in a different direction, or use subtleties like metaphors and symbolism.  Unfortunately, although Under the Skin has both of them, it uses them to the extreme and completely forgets to put a story in there.  You just get Scarlett Johansson, driving round Scotland, picking up blokes and then killing them in a slightly surreal, sci-fi way.  You don’t know why and you don’t really ever find out.  It just happens.  And, to make matters worse, it happens slowly.

Every shot, although brilliantly framed and beautiful to look at (making good use of Scotland’s panoramic views and scenery) goes on way too long.  You get thirty second shots of someone walking up a hill.  This wouldn’t be so bad if it only happens the once, but it’s pretty much an example of how the film pans out.  It just gets boring after a while.  Seriously, if you’re watching this on DVD, I recommend having the remote control in one hand to fast forward it.  There’s no dialogue through most of it, so it’s not like you’re going to miss anything.  It’ll just speed up people walking about the place.

Yes (and this is probably more applicable to the lads), Miss Johansson DOES get naked in the film.  I’m guessing that no matter how little story there is, that fact will always help get people (mainly men) to watch it.

All in all, you’re left with a well-shot, high concept film that could have been really good.  It didn’t have to be Species to be good.  It had enough of an idea what it wanted to do to be good in its own right.  However, the cranked up the weird levels and never bothered putting a story (or much explanation) in there.  I’ve since looked up what the film was about on the internet.  I was kind of right, but I didn’t know it was based on a book and, as always, by all accounts the book is much better and explains things much clearer.

Special mention to a truly disturbing scene that comes about half way through involving a child.  Certainly horrific and completely without the help of any alien presence.

3/10 Jabba the Hutt wipes himself down with this film