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Under the Skin

Existential, highly atmospheric and creepy movie “experience”

An alien in a gorgeous human body (an intense Scarlett Johansson, in a “brave” career move) drives her van around Scotland enticing young, unattached men to their doom. This adaptation of Michel Faber’s novel is hard to call. There’s little exposition and almost no characterization, as the film relies on nightmarish imagery, complex sound design and a menacing score to tell its tale. If you’re looking for a mainstream sci-fi/horror flick, keep looking. If you’re willing to surrender yourself to an existential, highly atmospheric and deeply creepy movie “experience,” then this is for you. Japanese title: Under the Skin: Tane no Hoshoku. (107 min)