Scarlett Johansson’s (Very) R-Rated 108-Minute Sci-Fi Thriller Is Being Cut From Netflix

One of the weirdest and most interesting sci-fi films made in the last 20 years is officially leaving Netflix soon, meaning you have one last chance to catch up with it. Starring Scarlett Johansson in a very bizarre role, the film opens like a regular alien movie would, with an extraterrestrial landing on Earth to carry out its predatory mission. However, it slowly turns into a mind-bending and terrifying story about what it means to be human. Trust us when we say this isn’t the ScarJo you’d like to bump into.

This Isn’t a Regular Alien Invasion Movie

Under the Skin follows an alien organism that lands on Earth to feed. Assuming the identity of a beautiful stranger (Johansson), the extraterrestrial preys on men who mistakenly fall for the woman’s advances. Instead, they’re lured into a room and sink into an endless black void. As the woman has encounters with different men, she also explores the human body she has chosen and begins to understand what makes us human.

After premiering on the festival circuit in 2013, Under the Skin landed in theaters in April 2014, courtesy of A24. Despite the presence of a major Hollywood star like Scarlett Johansson, it was a box office disappointment, grossing a total of $7.4 million against a reported production budget of more than $13 million. By comparison, Johansson also starred in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, an MCU film that opened the same weekend and grossed over $95 million domestically. Needless to say, Under the Skin never stood a chance in the box office wars.

Under the Skin was acclaimed by critics upon release, and was even nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding British Film. Today, it has an 84% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score is 55% – a much lower rating that highlights the divide between critics and audiences.

It’s fair to say that Under the Skin is far from a conventional, audience-favorite sci-fi movie. It’s a slow-burn thriller that follows the genre’s conventions, albeit at its own pace and according to its own rules. Though obviously an alien invasion movie, it just doesn’t feel like part of this subgenre of science fiction, instead mostly exploring themes such as human sexuality and the nature of identity.

‘Under the Skin’ Is Being Cut From Netflix – But There’s Good News

As part of the catalog update for next month, Under the Skin is leaving Netflix, and the last day the film will be available to stream is October 31. If you want a conventional Halloween scare, there are other options. However, Johansson’s unique film is one of those movies that stays with you long after the credits roll, thanks to its visceral take on sci-fi and psychological thriller tropes.

Fortunately, we have good news for viewers who don’t want to miss out on this bizarre sci-fi experience. There is a way to watch Under the Skin right as midnight strikes on October 31: the film is currently streaming for free on Tubi, Pluto TV and Plex, meaning viewers are able to watch the feature for absolutely free.

Release Date

April 4, 2014

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

Jonathan Glazer

Writers

Jonathan Glazer, Walter Campbell

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