The Movie: Adapted from Michel Faber's novel of the same name, Under the Skin sees a beautiful woman (Scarlett Johansson) driving through the streets of Scotland looking for lonely men to seduce, before luring them back to a strange void-like realm where they are consumed by a mysterious fluid. As the woman's alien origin becomes apparent, so too does her perspective on humanity begin to shift and she becomes increasingly fascinated with her adopted human form and burgeoning empathy. What Makes It Original: The use of non-actors - many of them filmed with hidden cameras - lends Under the Skin a spontaneity and naturalism in many of the scenes of "seduction", but director Jonathan Glazer's real achievement is the way in which the movie functions on an almost subconscious level, where striking imagery and atmosphere take precedence over explicit articulation of the themes explored. Comparisons with Kubrick are entirely justified - Under the Skin is an intelligent, often beguiling exploration of the humanity of the species which never feels the need to pander to the audience.
