After being responsible for one of the best, if not the best British crime thrillers in SEXY BEAST, director Jonathan Glazer effectively disappeared after the release of 2004s BIRTH, which starred Nicole Kidman. Well, the man who brought the fearsome Don Logan to the big-screen is about to unleash a sexy and seductive man-eater (literally) with Scarlett Johansson leading his latest film, UNDER THE SKIN as a beautiful extraterrestrial with a taste for humans.
Don’t expect the SPECIES-style gore and carnage as Glazer promises his science-fiction thriller will pose existential questions about mankind and the world we inhabit, and following its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, is said to be more in tone with Nicolas Roeg’s THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. Johannson is also drawing rave reviews for her performance. Check out the first seductive teaser trailer just below the official synopsis!
In search of loners, Laura (Scarlett Johansson) drives around the exquisitely moody landscapes of the Scottish highlands. She’s an alien sent from afar and equipped with enough human language and awesome seductive power to capture, destroy and presumably send home human males. And then, her curiosity about her human body and an accidental act of pity disrupt her mission: talk about lost in translation! Jonathan Glazer, known for his brilliant music videos and SEXY BEAST, and co-writer Walter Campbell adapt Michael Faber’s acclaimed novel to create a surprisingly layered tale. UNDER THE SKIN begins like an effectively creepy sci-fi horror film, but soon deepens into a lyrical evocation of solitude and estrangement and a mournful lament for ephemeral earthly beauty.The photography by Daniel Landin is richly atmospheric, and Peter Raeburn’s musical themes provide an ominous depth.
Craig was our great north east correspondent, proving that it’s so ‘grim up north’ that losing yourself in a world of film is a foregone prerequisite. He has been studying the best (and often worst) of both classic and modern cinema at the University of Life for as long as he can remember. Craig’s favorite films include THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, JFK, GOODFELLAS, SCARFACE, and most of John Carpenter’s early work, particularly THE THING and HALLOWEEN.
