Directed By:Jonathan Glazer
Written By:Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer, Michel Faber, Milo Addica
Under the Skin
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
83
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
83
82% Positive
40 Reviews
40 Reviews
12% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
6% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Nov 5, 2025
100
Under the Skin delivers startlingly original imagery amid the Scottish landscapes and finds queasy horror everywhere thanks to Mica Levi's pervasive electronic score. It's an experience you'll not forget in a hurry.
Apr 10, 2014
100
Weird. Brilliant. Stunning. Under the Skin is by far the most memorable movie of the first few months of 2014.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
66% Positive
375 Ratings
375 Ratings
16% Mixed
90 Ratings
90 Ratings
18% Negative
99 Ratings
99 Ratings
Jul 27, 2024
10
Alternates between being upsetting and hopeful so quickly and effectively that I want Glazer to stop making movies and start running our society. Hard pressed to think of a movie that so brilliantly captures the span of human emotion and connection, and it does so through a prism of unspeakable horror. Weird to say, but Johansson really makes you believe she's an alien. Mica Levi's score sounds like they recorded string instruments submerged in hellfire.Bold as hell, and takes off in so many unexpected directions. Just pure gonzo cinema and one of the best movies I've ever seen.
Feb 18, 2021
10
A genuinely weird and haunting little SF/horror/art flick that does get under one's skin. It stars Scarlett Johansson as an alluring but deadly creature of some kind. She roams around dull sections of urban Scotland in a plain van, picking up solitary men and doing something very strange to them. Around halfway thru, things change, and it becomes an interesting exploration indeed. The dialogue is very sparse, and the soundtrack is dominated by Mica Levi's dark score. There is some fine cinematography of Scottish winter landscapes towards the end.
Mar 10, 2014
100
You may not be sure what you've seen, but you've sure seen something. With neither a petticoat nor a wideboy in sight, this is one of the most original and exciting British movies in some time.
Apr 16, 2014
89
What makes Under the Skin such a mind-blower has everything to do with Johansson’s chillingly unempathetic turn as the, well, whatever she is, coupled with cinematographer Daniel Landin’s disorienting, hallucinogenic visuals.
Sep 17, 2013
83
Johannson turns out to be perfectly cast, being able to shift from blank alien mode to kittenish seduction without ever letting you see the switch being turned on or off.
Mar 10, 2014
60
Odd and sexy, troubling and touching, frustrating and mesmerising, dull and haunting. A film by Jonathan Glazer.
Apr 2, 2014
25
I certainly wish Ms. Johansson hadn’t shown up at all. She’s never less than interesting to watch, but Under the Skin is a big waste of her time.
Sep 25, 2020
10
Here's a movie I love to stare at in awe at how succesfully it manages to keep my atention, despite it's very slow pace. One of the very few movies have made my heart almost stop with some of its imagery and sound. It's a haunting masterpiece that's as fascinating as it is captivating I love it.
Nov 14, 2024
6
Plotless SciFi abstract film combines arresting cinematography, eery visual effects, slow paced editing and a superb performance from Johansson to craft an unsettling take on an alien life forms exploration of human behavior (and possibly experimentation?). In reality much of the sequences appear to be improvised and there is basically no script or story. Still its a great piece of cinematic art.
Jul 22, 2024
6
Lets be frank, this is more an art house type film. Cinematography and score is good though, which strongly adds to the atmosphere and vibe. It's thought provoking and its general mystery can be compelling, but ultimately its rather boring in terms of story and events.
Nov 9, 2025
3
I find the glowing reviews for this film inexplicable. It is slow-paced, excruciatingly low budget, dull, and largely incomprehensible. There is exactly one reason to watch it, and that's if you have a burning desire to see Scarlett Johansson naked; it has literally nothing else going for it.
Jan 14, 2021
3
There are really interesting visuals in the movie, the kind that could make it a pretty good one - but the story is garbage. It's way too abstract, and leaves you bored.
Production Company:
- Film4
- British Film Institute (BFI)
- Silver Reel
- Creative Scotland
- Sigma Films
- FilmNation Entertainment
- Nick Wechsler Productions
- JW Films
- Scottish Screen
- UK Film Council
Release Date:Apr 4, 2014
Duration:1 h 48 m
Rating:R
Website:
Awards
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 3 Wins & 12 Nominations
International Cinephile Society Awards
• 2 Wins & 7 Nominations
Indiewire Critics' Poll
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
