Scarlett Johansson’s appearance in the film is still etched in many people’s minds. Her curvaceous curves, tousled curls, deep blue eyes, flaming red lips, and hazel eyes. At first glance, she has the look of Monroe. Without exception, the woman known worldwide for her beauty once again takes the word sexy to the extreme, playing a master of the hunt. But I’m not going to lie, the first time I saw it, my mind went like this – first I couldn’t get enough, then I felt pity, and finally I was dumbfounded!

Really, I’m not exaggerating. You’ll know after watching it that it doesn’t carry the sci-fi tag for nothing. The story unfolds in a spooky, brooding, even a little creepy atmosphere. There’s no background and very few lines, and the grim camera cuts straight to a beauty scam. The scene shows a motorbike man carrying a female corpse to a pristine white room. A naked woman then strips the body of its clothes layer by layer before dressing it onto herself. The woman comes from the secluded suburbs to the bustling, bustling mall, her face expressionless and seemingly at odds with everything around her. However, although she is a little eccentric, her love of beauty remains the same. The woman imitates the other girls, tries on make-up and buys nice clothes. All set and ready to go, she starts driving around the streets.

What for? To look for prey. The woman’s goal is clear: to find men who are single, who live alone, or who have few friends. The method could not be simpler: ask for directions. Once they’ve struck up a conversation, the woman tries to lure him to her car, talking flirtatiously, as if she’s trying to get a date. What man could resist a conversation with such a beautiful woman on the road? She was so precise that one by one, her prey took the bait. The prey, in a mood to take advantage of the situation, follow the woman to a small dark house in the woods in the middle of nowhere. In front of them, the woman scratches her head and slowly removes her clothes, revealing her white skin. By this time, they can’t hold back their inner turmoil and can’t wait to “see each other”. But just when you think you’re about to move on to the next part, a terrible scene occurs – the man slowly falls into a strange swamp until he is completely submerged.

Is this woman like the fox spirit in our ancient Chinese story? A scourge for the unsuspecting and lustful? As you can see from the reviews, there were a few confused viewers. The obscurity of the plot is one of the main reasons why Under the Skin is so controversial. But the Widow is who she is, a good actress with a good eye. A film that allows her to act without a body double and on a large scale can’t be that bad. Indeed, the film was not well received by the audience. However, it has received great acclaim in the film industry. Not only did it make several film media’s top ten lists of the year, but many critics also praised it. The Guardian’s bad reviewer gave it five stars and said it was “very creepy, very scary, very erotic.” Rolling Stone gave it four and a half stars and commented that “visual innovation is now such a lost art in contemporary cinemas that impatient viewers may feel electrified while watching this film.”

In the face of two very different reactions, we certainly cannot categorically decide who is right and who is wrong. What is certain is that a large part of this is due to director Jonathan Glazer’s inability to “please the audience” and his overly personal style. For example, there are all sorts of different explanations for the storytelling, and the geometric transformations interspersed throughout the film are like scenes on drugs. But it is also because of Jonathan’s “capriciousness” that we are able to enjoy a special audio-visual feast.

As the title suggests, “Under the Skin” is indeed a story about skin. But what makes the film stand out is not only Widow’s body, but also her eyes. By the end of the film, we know that the mysterious woman played by Widow is not an ordinary person, but an alien-like creature. The director uses her microscopic perspective to lead the audience to observe and interpret human nature from her identity. Initially, the Widow is like a ruthless decoy, with not a single emotion captured in her eyes. She is a killing machine, at one point so cold-blooded that she witnesses passers-by being swept away by the waves, and even kills those who try to save her. What exactly is her purpose? We don’t know. But as the story progresses, there is a sense that she is becoming more and more “human”. After she kills two of her prey, an ugly, monster-like man appears in front of her. He has an inferiority complex and does not flirt as much as those who have come before him, or even dare to desire a woman. Therefore, even though he still took the bait despite the woman’s temptation, she chose to let him go. This is a subconscious act led by emotion. The woman also senses that she is different and, in her haste, throws down her car and frantically flees the sin-filled woodland cabin. It is at this point that she meets the man who has completely feminised her. Faced with the mess she is in, he takes an active interest, carries her through a puddle and takes her home to warm her up. Arguably, this is the most heartwarming scene in the entire film. Soon, something inexplicable is building up in the woman’s heart and she develops a desire to become human, so she takes the initiative to undress.

Who knows, just as the two are making out, she gets a fright and rushes up to check her skin in the light. Yes, she was afraid that her skin would break. Just as she had trouble swallowing a delicious Black Forest cake, she drew strange looks from those around her. This “woman” in human skin was always an alien, unable to integrate into human society. The irony is that the woman has lost her initial edge. She struggled against the forest guards who tried to violate her, but was pinned down and ravaged until her clothes were stripped and the skin on her back was poked. She was completely pushed into a desperate situation ……

What exactly was the cause of the tragedy? Was it lust? Perhaps. It is worth mentioning that the man the widow lures in by the roadside in the film is not an actor, but an ordinary passer-by. The director hides the camera in the car and doesn’t tell them it’s a film until after the conversation between them is over. Undoubtedly, these men came more or less for the beauty of the widowed sister, driven by their own desires. Isn’t that interesting and worthy of deep thought. To the factory director, this is what makes this film the most fascinating.