Under the Skin

2014 1h 48m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 3,971

ThrillerScience FictionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A seductive stranger prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Scarlett Johansson
Jeremy McWilliams
Lynsey Taylor Mackay
Dougie McConnell
Kevin McAlinden
D. Meade
Andrew Gorman
Joe Szula

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jonathan Glazer
Writers: Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer, Milo Addica
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 54% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

271+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jonathan Glazer, shot by Daniel Landin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mica Levi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Watts shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy McWilliams and Lynsey Taylor Mackay carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jonathan Glazer directs. Daniel Landin behind the camera. Mica Levi scores. Paul Watts cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 54% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 12 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland.
4271+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Jonathan Glazer, shot by Daniel Landin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Mica Levi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Paul Watts shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy McWilliams and Lynsey Taylor Mackay carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt1441395 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "based on novel or book", "scotland", "edinburgh, scotland", "alien".
11Released under 28 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Daniel Landin
Original score: Mica Levi
Editing: Paul Watts
Production design: Chris Oddy
Costume design: Stephen Noble
Makeup / hair: Helen Barrett
VFX supervisor: Tom Debenham
Sound: Johnnie Burn
Stunt coordinator: Gareth Milne
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $13,300,000
Box office: $7,229,933
Return: 54% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Under the Skin (2014)

Awards

European Film Award for Best Composer

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jonathan Glazer

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2015-10-26
★ 6/10
Johansson makes a great performance in an unlikely role, adding great sensuality to the film, even with her very different looking. The story and movie on itself is a rarety. Very fresh but, also, kind of an unfinished joke.
talisencrw2016-08-08
★ 9/10
This was a very bizarre and unique viewing experience for me. I greatly enjoy cinematic puzzles, and directors who have the wherewithal, guts and personal integrity to stick to their guns and project their distinct visions without caving in to corporate pressure or normal sensibilities. It is work like this at the cinematic vanguard that makes cinema the most aesthetic of all art forms and the greatest and most intrinsically satisfying component of my life. Though I have Glazer's previous two films, I have sadly not seen them yet, a condition I hope to remedy as soon as possible. A woman and actress of Johansson's beauty is perhaps one of only a select few currently out there who could pull this sort of thing off. And yes, this would make a remarkable double bill with 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'.
Reno2016-12-14
★ 6/10
The lady from the white van. First of all, this is not an entertaining film, but an alien theme on a fictional plot like how they would come live among us. Before that, they need to look like us, so they steal human skins and that's what this film is about. Most of the film was in a van driving around in the Scottland. An alien disguised as a human, looking for the single men in the uncrowded places to seduce and steal their skins. But one day after got curious about being a human being, her routine work gets affected seriously and so what happens to her after is told in the remaining film. It's certainly not the film I was looking for. That's the reason I did not watch it when it got out. But I kind of liked it, it was not as boring as the others advised me. Usually films are for pleasure and timepass and this film did not have those qualities. Hence it financially failed. Surely some people would enjoy it, particularly the critics praised it which is unusual. From the director of 'Birth', Scarlett Johansson in the lead and she was the only good thing in it. The story was a little complicated, so not everybody going the get it, not at the first glance, but if you do, you will enjoy it. The locations were awesome. Watching it on the cold stormy day brought me that original Scottish atmosphere here. I should have rated it better, but no regret for what I gave for it. Its not a suggestible kind, though worth a watch if you're fed up with the regular commercial films. 6/10