One of the most engrossing films I have ever seen. It blew me away,can't stop thinking about it.

Count me in the "masterpiece" camp. I think this is an extraordinary film. I saw it twice in the week of release.

This is the closest anyone's come to Kubrick in a long time. Brilliant filmmaking.

I think it’s a disservice to say “takes the form of Scarlett Johansson” when Scarlett gives herself so completely to the film. It’s a fantastic performance. Anyway, unforgettable film. Stayed with me for weeks.

There are scenes in this movie that will stay in my memory forever. So in that sense it worked for me.

One of the most beautifully haunting, and visually captivating films I've ever seen.

I saw it today. Whatever about the rest of the film, that scene on the beach was one of the most horrifying things I've seen in a film for quite a while.

It IS a masterpiece.

"Trying to figure out if the people she's talking to are actors or not is distracting"... well it will be now that you've pointed it out to me.

I saw this at an arthouse cinema, alone, with absolutely no expectations or knowledge of what the film was about I literally had no idea about the film, other than that it was 'good'. The film blew my mind. I've not seen it since but I still remember so much about it. For maybe a week after seeing it, I felt like I was viewing the world in a similar way to how the alien saw it. It took me out of my usual perception of the day-to-day world and opened up this whole new third-person perception. I remember feeling lost for words the evening I saw it. I've not seen a film before or since that had such an effect on me, and I still think about this film from time to time now, even after all these years. Really I do think it's a masterpiece and feel lucky that I experienced this film having known nothing about it beforehand.

I think it is a masterpiece. It's a strange vision, but perfectly executed.

Surprised by the doctors review, under the skin is for my money one of masterpieces of this century thus far. Stunning on every level

Mark Kermode is, I think, exactly on the button with his review of this remarkable and very strange film. The one thing he doesn't quite cover concerns the overall feeling of melancholy of loneliness - the central scenes with the men who are picked up are very moving, as is the alien character's gradual empathy with the victims and the realisation of human need for contact and love.

It's very difficult to turn what I thought about the film into words. Basically it's fantastic, and I never ever use that word. It is indeed a masterpiece. It is difficult to swallow, like many masterpieces before it from Tarkovsky, Kubrick, Malick or Herzog. There is so much going on in the film it's almost overwhelming. Take apart every piece and much like Johansson's character all you can do is stare in awe. It's cold and sad but at the same time rich in describing visually and aurally the world through unfamiliar eyes. The body horror and surreal abstract imagery are nothing but haunting, as is Mica Levi's score - a musician I deeply admire and one time had the pleasure of meeting. The film is ultimately humanist - not positively nor negatively, showing both in equal measure - and also shows deep admiration for the landscape it depicts. The nudity feels as natural as scenes in shopping centres whilst you're watching it, but it all feels deeply eery in retrospect. There's a shot near the end of the film that secured this film for me and completely concreted the film as a bold step for both British and global cinema. I could think about the film for hours. YES it's gradual, and YES it's daunting to deconstruct. It is not slow, boring or pretentious, but it is in fact incredibly full-on. If you can't see what's already there, maybe you never will. An extremely impressive and fully realised experiment that transcends the usual horror, science-fiction and thriller genre-categorising. It will definitely sit in your memory for years to come, whether you like it or not.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time - it's BRILLIANT. I love it's near-opaqueness, and you can see new layers on subsequent viewings. Very few movies can do that, especially the big studio, commercial fluff we have handed to us all too often.

"somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring...",no not Under the Skin but the original review of Kubrick's 2001 by the NYTimes back in 68. Space Odyssey's now universally recognized greatness needs no mention...the ground-breaking, exceptional masterpiece that is Under the Skin will gain similar stature.

I don't get creeped out very easily and this movie creeped me out. I found it very disturbing and eerie. I thought it was great.

Absolutely loved it! Thought it was a real piece of art and I can see in the comments that most people thought it was building to nothing or was very slow... who says it has to build to anything, who says it has to be fast? That wouldn't allow it to be the unique spectacular that it is! Its approach to documenting life through alien eyes is incredible! Reminds me so much of 2001: A Space Odyssey (or any film by Kubrick) and also like Kermode said, The Man Who Fell To Earth. Off to see it again tonight, this is by far my favourite film from this year and I think for a good long while! Thank you Jonathan Glazer!

I THINK IT'S AN ARTISTIC MASTERWORK....ONE OF THE GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME...

I was blown away by this film. I think it requires engagement on a level beyond casual entertainment, which may make it one of those films you'll only want to watch in a particular mood. Half of my mind was focused on attempting to interpret the themes that were ambiguous but clearly evident throughout.

I can certainly understand why this film is so divisive among people but I think it's an incredible work of art. Not at all what I was expecting but was pleasantly surprised by it. It was very brave of Scarlett to take a chance on a film like this.

Fascinating film rather than good. For me it was simply incredibly sad Everyone seemed so lonely.

I watched it more than once. I don't think I could watch it again, as I would find even more disturbing now. I think, given the fullness of time, it can be considered more on the side of being a masterpiece. Great works of art just take time to mature within us.

A game-changing masterpiece. Like Blade Runner and like A.I. Artificial Intelligence, the central question of this film is - What does it mean to be human? Under the Skin finds dark and sobering answers.

I have just finished watching this. From about 1 minute in, I was mesmerised. The score is perfect. I couldn't take my eyes off Scarlett Johansson. She really does have the 'x factor'. I love the scenes where she is driving around like a predator scanning for prey. The lack of dialogue adds to the feeling of abstraction and the way she looks at things like she is seeing them for the first time (which she is) means you never forget that she is an alien. The ending is quite striking. Funnily enough, I wasn't left wanting answers. I just soaked it all in and thought it was fascinating.

most important movie i have seen since There Will Be Blood. and yes it is very much spiritual relation of man who fell to earth. visual and sonic masterpiece....

In years to come kermode opon more viewings , will talk very differently of this movie . MASTERPIECE

I love this film, easily one of my favourites of the year. I fall into the camp of saying this is a masterpiece. Mostly because it defines art film, it is interesting, it is widely open for interpretation and discussion. When I saw the film I didn't know a lot, all I knew was that Scarlett's character was an alien, and the film just fascinated me with a good amount of enigma, unique style, that amazing soundtrack and a powerful and original screenplay. I didn't know there were scenes with hidden cameras, I went in with the typical approach that everything in the film was constructed, and so I found the early scenes to be incredibly realistic and it wasn't until after I realised that's because they were real. Awe-inspiring film.

I strongly recommend this film. I absolutely understand why others hated it, and some of the criticisms are merited. But I found it utterly compelling. So many lingering images, and the most engrossing score I've heard in a film for years. An incredible experience.

I think this is, in fact, a modern masterpiece. It is very profound in its message while also functioning wholly successfully as a Sci-Fi film without having to cater to the lowest common denominator. Kermode says it is flawed but doesn't specify how it so, other than referring to the people who weren't actual actors and therefore might be slightly mislead (which is odd since they obviously agreed to be in the film afterwards. Maybe I misunderstood Kermode on that point). But for a film to function so well on such a high level of abstraction and with such high ambitions is very rare indeed, why I think it is clearly in a league of its own compared to most other contemporary cinema.

Kubrick made "flawed adaptations of books." I think this is a masterpiece and you did not recognize it.

So what makes the movie flawed is that some people are going to wonder who is in on it, and who isn't? That's kind of a lazy criticism, especially because most viewers won't even know that back story.

I'm with Kermode on this. There are individually great things about it, but it ultimately didn't add to much - not to the extent that I can take people calling it "a perfect film" or "masterpiece" seriously. There are a lot of films similar to this getting released every year, this one just happened to get more exposure (probably because of Scarlett Johansson). It's not a case of me wanting a narrative-driven film, I actually prefer those "films where nothing happens", but they have to be substantial in some way or another and I didn't find myself too moved or intrigued once the film was over. That said, it's visually gorgeous and has some of the best cinematography I've seen for a while. And they should be credited for the innovation of the in-car shooting set-up, which I think will pave the way for filmmaking in the future to some extent.

Just watched it. The intro put me in mind of the later parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I knew nothing about the film before I watched it - as I prefer. I thought it was pretty good, had me utterly absorbed in it throughout.

It's one of the most extraordinary, beautiful and thought-provoking films I've ever seen. I didn't think modern cinema had it in it but I've been pleasantly surprised. I watched this film two months ago and not a day has passed without my thinking about it. As with all truly great, original films it's going to be extremely divisive - and it's not for those who like their stories straight up. But I don't think I'm alone in thinking this will be talked about for decades to come.

Praise be I didn't listen to this review or read any other reviews before seeing this masterpiece. Seeing this film with as little prior knowledge will improve the viewing experience considerably.

Well, it’s definitely outclassed and outlasted Kermode’s perspective

One thing that annoyed me about the reaction to the film when it first came was everyone was bringing up the fact of some of the passer-by men not being actors. Sure, it's a fact but it's such a small and boring point to make about a film that in my opinion has so much to offer. It brilliantly captures humanity at its most darkest, its most helpless and its most beautiful. Looking back on the film a decade later, I'm thrilled to see its appreciation continue as I still hands down believe its the most raw piece of cinema I've laid eyes on in the last decade.

Brilliant film, brilliantly performed. Scarlett Johansson's character is unnervingly minimalistic. A wonderfully unique film. Lingers long after you've left the theater.

The scene with the third victim is the most chilling and disturbing scene I have ever seen on film.

I think Kermode is a good reviewer but I think he missed the trick here. This film really is a masterpiece.

I realize I'm 5 years late commenting on this, but it's nice to see someone discussing this film without being extremely positive or extremely negative. Film discussion these days seems to be largely one group yelling "This film causes cancer", one group yelling "This film is good enough to cure cancer", and a small number of sane people in the middle. This film seems to have a smaller than normal group of people in the middle, probably because it wasn't a very mainstream film.

She is controlled and dehumanised during the film. She's not resilient and is ultimately unable to survive because she is sexualy compromised, lives in fear and on the run. Two years from the first viewing I'm now aware of the book's story and the film feels totally coherent but I can't forget my initial thoughts: the story is possibly a metaphor for aliens of another type - trafficked captives in the sex industry. Aside from my crazy theories there are moments in this film that are quietly devastating. The beach scene chills my soul. The style and pace are so natural, the dialogue and direction so economical and precise. I think it's really very special.

Incredible film, and equally incredible score. Frightening, engrossing, sad, elegantly produced. Its beyond what most Sci-fi films have done to now. I think far in the future is when people will understand the genius displayed here.

Just got back from seeing this for me it was one of the most daring cinema I have ever seen it was a truly great film but certainly not for everyone

Scarlet was terrific. I believe that Gemma Arterton has said that she thought she had the role, but then the powers that be decided they wanted a bigger name

Daring and unique film. Gritty locations. Glasgow will never seem the same again. Haunting escapism

The sound design was fantastic.

Weird, unsettling... and utterly compelling.

Everything about this film is unexplained and unusual, if not uncomfortable. It works on all of those levels, so it depends on if you are captivated by that sort of story. It is certainly brave and very imaginative and therefore will appeal to those who still have a lively and active imagination.

Kermode only spoke about half of this movies plot! What about the deformed man when she began to humanise, the guy who found her on the bus or the forest scenes?!?! Or the beach scene with the toddler which was very disturbing. Only half the film is about the men she hunts in Glasgow so review the rest Mark rather than repeating (and standing on the fence) about it being a disaster or masterpiece of which I believe it is the latter!

this was the most original, moving film ive seen in years, im amazed at its lack of acclaim

This film haunts me, especially the beach scene. I disagree with Kermode very rarely, but I think this is one of the most memorable films I've seen. Yes, it is a masterpiece.

Under the skin - film I thought this film was Genius. It grabbed my attention from the second it started and held it. The film depicts an 'alien' who takes human form played by Scarlett Johansson. It takes you on a journey with her and an observation of the human condition/human life here. We are witnessing the story from 'her view, her lens' . The film depicts a female hunter and then these men enter what appears to be another dimension - The film is so brilliant and it is a masterpiece in my view and it stays with you after you have watched it because of how profound it is - the final scene where she is looking at what was her human face is in my view incredible - I salute the director of this film and the brilliant and beautiful Scarlett Johansson!

Fantastic film, would watch again

Everything is flawed. If a film was not flawed it would be so clinical and boring that no one would dare let it be seen. Look, I know it is your job to find something to give out about but give this film a break and let us praise it as the masterpiece it is.

How can he use the fact that you cannot tell who are actors and who are members of the public, as a point that can be used to say it was flawed? That is one of the main points that can make this film feel so real.

Happily, 9 years late, I saw this film with an un clouded vision 1 didn't know the lead role was a film star 2 did not know or care if the cast were actors or extras Due to my unfiltered un clouded experience I enjoyed the feeling of alienation the film conveyed and the contrast between cold bleakness and human warmth. I enjoyed it even as a road movie, the prowling around in a Ford Transit and a film about 'alienation' (sic) The laugh was on me not knowing of the famous protagonist.

This is my most anticipated movie of the year so far. Looks very interesting, and I do enjoy Scarlett Johansson.

just saw the preview of this at a screening of grand budapest hotel....i was intrigued. Sexy Beast was pretty much awesome so i'll give this one the benefit of the doubt.

one point i would like to make. this is based on a book so i think people may judge it using literary merits and criteria. this film is, to my mind, a very vigorous CINEMATIC adventure /experience. taken as such i find it totally immersive and haunting. i have seen people note similarities with eraserhead and on that level i would totally agree. this is kinesthetic piece of art which ranks with other such great cinematic achievments as 2001, eraserhead ( in fact almost all of Lynch's ouvre). it is a very vigorious example of the ever diminishing world of the auter. The last filmmaker to affcect me on a similar level was/is PTAnderson esp. There Will Be Blood embodies similar wonderful qualities. Truely cinematic, truly kinesthetic. i should also say that the term masterpiece is not synonymous with perfection. however i think a core quality of the 'masterpiece' is work which allows you to view again and again and take something lasting, immersive and engaging and most often haunting from it. this is very much the case with this film. come back and discuss when you have seen it at least 3 or 4 times. great works of art are independent of their time. this is not particularly deliberate timelessness is a term not so often applied but perhaps this is the one really common ingredient, which is why you can view the citizen kanes of this world and , although aware of their arbitrary placement in time speak to the parts of us that are timeless. the ghost within which has no corporeal form which comes into play in dreams. it's a matter of opinion how important this ghost is. to me it is the mystery at the heart of being. the mystery you never crack. it's a rare gift, but always hugely welcome. so thankyou jonothan glazer.

Loved the movie, less gore and more 'creepy'. Felt like a foreign horror movie instead of the usual hollywood trash that we get when it comes to horror. Havn't seen a ton of movies this year yet but this, Raid 2 and Grand Budapest Hotel are hands down the best.

Damn! My mother, an art student at the time, brought me to that installation at The Serpentine Gallery when I was young. To this day I remember the experience, but didn't know anything else about it. 20:50 - very good! The film sounds interesting.

Actor in The Man Who Fell to Earth is not Jagger;) it's Bowie...

Won't be able to catch this at the cinema, this is going to be a sleeper hit... I can't wait to see it on streaming services.

Bang on. It's neither bad nor spectacular, but refreshingly therapeutic with tense violin noise and ambient dreamlike scenes. I really appreciated the utilisation of the real Glasgow.

I tend to be on board with most things Mark says but I'd have to go the masterpiece route with this too. I don't believe the actor/real person thing is suppose to be known before watching the film, it is a reflection meant to be made afterwards. This was a very Kubrick-esk style film that I thought was very meticulously put together. And my god that score was incredible. It was a fantastic look at standards of beauty, the evil within us, superficiality, and observation of our own society

Human isolation personified with an extra-terrestrial protagonist. Did Mark pick up on this? The emptiness of the mundane, the absence of connection, a film so far removed from human cravings yet encompasses the core of singular human existence.

Get rid of stills, bring back feed.

This is a very eerie, disturbing and yet highly enthralling film. It is both confusing and captivating with some of the most atmospheric and likewise unsettling music. A journey of the unknown through the ordinary and with the consequences that entails. It does not attempt to be anything other than a stark story of two worlds colliding, how weird that adventure appears and the surprising way it changes and concludes. I have watched it twice and would certainly watch it again. I have not yet read the book but I will do so as I have just acquired it.

Got to despise critics that say things like "some people think it's bad and some think it's masterpiece but what I think it's the only truth".

love this movie

+Jane Beanette Hope you see it and hope you enjoy it Jane.

I don't get Kermode's argument when he says there will be many people who will sit their bored. So what? Lots of masterpieces will have many people bored to tears. The same way lots of mainstream action films will bore lots of people. I'm not interested in what Kermode thinks "lots of people" might feel, ONLY what he feels. Were you bored Mark Kermode? Then talking about being distracted figuring out who is an actor and who isn't. Is that like some kind of alternative spoiler? Because telling people that might cause people to fall into the same situation. Seems a little unfair.

I remember reading a 1982 Robert Westall short story called "Hitch-hiker" about a mysterious seductive female alien who drove around in a campervan and preyed on Scottish hitchhikers in order to breed. Just sayin'.

I thought this was a very impressive film. I saw it four days ago and I'm still thinking about it (and Scarlett). The sound track was perfectly executed - the droney, otherworldly sounds reminded me of Eraserhead - and I enjoyed the editing style, at times almost abstract but beauitful. The only negative for me was that it dragged on a little bit. It's not a movie where a lot happens but it's so creepy and odd that I can forgive it for that. Also, it has Scarlett with no clothes on and what's not to like about that? I can understand some people not liking it, there's no real story to speak of, but if you go into it with an open mind without expecting the usual Hollywood style of direction then you should enjoy it. Did I mention it has Scarlett with no clothes on?

Candid candid camera

TAKE A DAY OFF, THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM MARK.

Why are there only still photos? A new policy I missed?

I'm really looking forward to seeing this. It sounds odd (in a good way).

Interesting the comments about this film. mmm it's got me interested. So what Mark is saying or I perceive he's saying is that's it's a flawed masterpiece. Is there any other kind? I like unsual films and though I don't like films to be to arty farty for their own good I am picking up vibes from Mark and the comments sections that there is something more interesting here. Am I right?

Scarlett Johansson driving around the streets of Glasgow pretending to be an alien in a film interacting with Strangers who are willing to get in a car with her that alone has got to be enough for a ton of intellectual discussion and psychological speculation on human behaviour

The book is fantastic btw. 😃

Saw the movie, but I didn't get it. I wasn't bored though - the acting, soundtrack and striking imagery kept me fully engrossed, however by the end of it I just failed to see what was so good about it. Can anyone tell me why they think it is a masterpiece? I'm genuinely curious!

This sums up the movie very well

That's really wierd, I posted a still of this on my Facebook page saying I thought Scarlett resembled Mick Jagger in Performance the night before this was published...

Incredible film

Totally agree with him, Well said! Some scenes were beautifully weird and memorising and the soundtrack was perfect but overall as a whole film it was disjointed, a bit disappointing and slightly to slow at times.

Loved it.

Defo brilliant

He maintains he couldn't tell the difference between the real people and the actors and complains about this? That is exemplary film making. Watch this film without any preconceived notions of what it is and form your own opinion. I managed to see this without reading anything about it and I was blown away. I couldn't even compare it to any other film, but the only film that even comes close to being complete amoral like this is No Country for Old men.

I think this one was great. To me it is about the male psyche and the way their need for fulfillment can so easily be manipulated. The main character is ironically named 'She' but might not be female in any meaningful use of the word. It's just a shell.

This was the equal of peak period Nic Roeg

I thought it pretty damn good 👍

Haunting film. I thought it was amazing but I can never watch it again

For a moment I thought he was reviewing "The Skin I live in" and I was excited. This movie sounds a little like an x-files episode, actually sounds very like it but I can't remember the episode name.

I am keen to see this. I enjoyed Faber's novel (which is basically a defence of vegetarianism). The black goop scenes in the clips I've seen reminded me of "Black Thirst", a C. L. Moore story about an alien that breeds beautiful women to control men. In the novel, Isserley is not a perfect replica of a human. She's been surgically altered to fool humans (large breasts for instance), but other than that she is covered in scars, has to wear large glasses to hide her huge eyes and grows hair over all of her body. I still don't understand why some boo'd the film. Too "arthouse"? Too much nudity?

You won't understand nor are you expected to understand everything going on in this film. I believe it's something that should simply be experienced.

Scarlett Johansson never looked so alluring. Great film too.

Kermode says one of the bothersome things he found about it was that he kept thinking whether the people she was stopping while driving the van were actors or candid situations. Seriously Mark, why even mention or think about it? It's just some fun trivia for the movie.