Scarlett Johansson’s career has spanned nearly every genre imaginable — from indie heartbreak in Lost in Translation to blockbuster stardom as Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She’s proven herself capable of embodying intelligence, vulnerability, wit, and raw emotional power, often within a single role. But nowhere is her craft more hauntingly displayed than in Jonathan Glazer’s 2013 sci-fi horror masterpiece Under the Skin — a surreal, cerebral, and deeply unsettling meditation on humanity, empathy, and alienation.
Now streaming free on multiple platforms, Under the Skin remains one of the boldest performances of Johansson’s career — a film that tests the boundaries of science fiction and horror while showcasing her ability to communicate entire emotional arcs without saying a word.
As director Jonathan Glazer said, “Scarlett’s performance isn’t about acting — it’s about being. That’s what makes it terrifying.”
‘Under the Skin’ — A Chilling Story of an Alien Among Us
In Under the Skin, Johansson plays an unnamed extraterrestrial being posing as a human woman in Scotland. Her mission appears simple: drive around the streets of Glasgow, pick up men, and lure them to an isolated black void where they mysteriously vanish.
Her targets — unsuspecting men enticed by her beauty — willingly follow her into a space that defies human understanding. There, they are submerged in an oily liquid, their bodies liquefied, their skins seemingly harvested.
| Film Overview | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Under the Skin |
| Director | Jonathan Glazer |
| Release Year | 2013 |
| Genre | Sci-Fi / Horror / Psychological Thriller |
| Lead Cast | Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Adam Pearson |
| Streaming Availability | Currently available to stream for free on multiple platforms |
| Runtime | 108 minutes |
What begins as a minimalist alien horror slowly transforms into an introspective journey as Johansson’s character begins to experience something her species was never meant to: empathy. As she becomes aware of her victims’ humanity, she starts to question her purpose — and her own identity.
A Surreal Masterpiece of Minimalism and Meaning
Under the Skin isn’t just a story — it’s an experience. Jonathan Glazer, known for The Zone of Interest and Birth, crafts a film that blends documentary realism with abstract art. Many scenes were filmed using hidden cameras as Johansson, in disguise, drove through Glasgow and interacted with real people who had no idea they were in a film.
The result is a blend of fiction and reality that blurs the line between performance and authenticity. The film’s unsettling tone comes from its deliberate lack of exposition — we’re given almost no information about the alien’s mission, her species, or the nature of the black void.
Instead, we are left to interpret the imagery:
- The black chamber where men are swallowed by darkness.
- The eerie synth score by Mica Levi, which pulsates with alien dissonance.
- The contrast between rural Scotland and cosmic terror, creating a feeling that the alien could be anywhere — even next to us.
Film critic Mark Kermode called it “a hypnotic nightmare — the kind of film that doesn’t scare you immediately, but lives under your skin long after.”
Scarlett Johansson’s Most Daring and Transformative Performance
In a role with minimal dialogue, Scarlett Johansson delivers one of the most haunting performances of the 21st century. Her alien isn’t just a predator — she’s a being learning to feel.
Johansson’s brilliance lies in subtlety: a hesitant glance, a twitch of the eye, a moment of stillness as she observes humans with both curiosity and detachment. She uses silence as power, embodying a predator who doesn’t understand the morality of what she’s doing — at least, not at first.
Over the course of the film, the alien’s transformation mirrors a tragic awakening. When she begins to empathize with her victims — notably after a chilling scene involving a man with facial disfigurements — she becomes both vulnerable and hunted. Her growing awareness of her human shell culminates in the devastating final act, where she is forced to confront what lies “under the skin.”
Johansson described the role as “the scariest thing I’ve ever done — not because of the horror, but because I had to let go of everything I knew about acting.”
The Horrors Beneath Humanity
Unlike most sci-fi horrors, Under the Skin doesn’t rely on gore or spectacle. Its true terror lies in what it reveals about human behaviour. The alien’s detached perspective becomes a mirror to our own cruelty, lust, and indifference.
Each encounter she has with a man exposes a different facet of human nature:
- Desire and danger — the men’s willingness to follow her into the dark reflects their vulnerability to temptation.
- Alienation and empathy — the alien’s confusion about emotions highlights how fragile our humanity is.
- Gender power dynamics — by reversing the traditional predator-prey relationship, the film forces viewers to confront cultural fears of female sexuality and control.
The film also asks an unspoken question: what if humanity itself is the horror?
| Theme | How It’s Explored in the Film |
|---|---|
| Empathy vs. Alienation | The alien’s emotional awakening clashes with her programmed detachment. |
| Gender and Power | The film flips male gaze dynamics by making men the hunted. |
| Identity and Body | The alien’s human form becomes both armor and prison. |
| Human Cruelty | The story’s ending reminds us that violence isn’t limited to monsters. |
A Cinematic Experience Like No Other
Visually, Under the Skin is breathtaking. Cinematographer Daniel Landin captures Scotland’s foggy streets and empty landscapes with eerie precision, evoking loneliness and isolation. Each frame feels like an alien’s eye view of Earth — familiar yet deeply wrong.
Mica Levi’s score is equally essential. Its haunting strings and synthetic wails feel alive, like the alien’s nervous system translated into sound. It’s music that doesn’t just accompany the film — it invades it.
Levi later said, “We didn’t compose music for Scarlett’s character — we composed music from her character.”
This combination of imagery and sound turns Under the Skin into something beyond cinema — an encounter. It’s science fiction reimagined as existential art.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Though divisive upon release, Under the Skin has since been reappraised as one of the greatest films of the 2010s. Critics praised its daring vision and Johansson’s career-defining performance.
| Reception Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | 85% Critics, 75% Audience |
| Metacritic | 80/100 (Universal acclaim) |
| BAFTA Nomination | Outstanding British Film |
| Sight & Sound Ranking (2022) | Named among the Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time |
| Streaming Popularity (2025) | Surging after becoming available free online |
The film’s influence can be seen across a new generation of sci-fi filmmakers — from Alex Garland’s Annihilation to Julia Ducournau’s Titane — each exploring the intersection of body horror and existential dread.
Why You Should Watch Under the Skin Now?
With Under the Skin now streaming free, there’s never been a better time to revisit this chilling modern masterpiece. But don’t expect a straightforward alien thriller — this is horror as philosophy, a film that demands patience and rewards introspection.
Watch it if you:
- Appreciate atmospheric, slow-burn storytelling.
- Enjoy films that challenge your perception (Her, Annihilation, The Zone of Interest).
- Want to see one of Scarlett Johansson’s most daring performances.
- Crave horror that’s emotional, not just visceral.
As The Guardian put it: “Under the Skin doesn’t scare you — it consumes you.”
Conclusion
Under the Skin stands as Scarlett Johansson’s most fearless performance — a role that strips away dialogue, emotion, and even identity to reveal the raw essence of acting. It’s a film that crawls beneath your consciousness, questioning what it means to be human and what hides behind our faces.
More than a decade later, Under the Skin remains one of modern cinema’s most haunting achievements — a masterpiece that proves the scariest monsters are often the ones learning to feel.
FAQs
It’s currently available for free streaming on select platforms like Tubi and Kanopy, depending on your region.
Jonathan Glazer, who also directed Birth (2004) and The Zone of Interest (2023).
Yes — it’s loosely adapted from Michel Faber’s 2000 novel of the same name.
It’s more disturbing than traditionally scary — the horror comes from its atmosphere and themes rather than jump scares.
The ending suggests the alien’s tragic realisation of her vulnerability — and humanity’s capacity for cruelty — once she becomes self-aware.
