Directed by Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth) and starring Scarlett Johansson, the 2013 film Under the Skin contains elements of science fiction and fantasy, horror, mystery, and thriller. Arguably the most compelling of Johansson’s career, the movie follows a unique tale of one woman’s journey to self-discovery. This is the first book to be written about the quiet masterpiece, revisiting the film scene-by-scene through all its cinematic elements. Extensive interviews detail the challenges the filmmakers faced—from hidden filming on the streets of Glasgow to defying a blizzard in the Scottish Highlands. Readers are invited to explore connections between the movie and its science fiction cousins and discover the reasons why Under the Skin deserves to find a wider audience.

Novelist Maureen Foster has taught courses in film, science fiction, and writing at University of California, Santa Cruz and American Music and Drama Academy in Hollywood. She lives in Los Angeles.

Maureen Foster
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 279
Bibliographic Info: 48 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7042-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3650-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Part I: Watching Under the Skin
1. Landing 5
2. The Foreigner 10
3. The Monster 18
4. Fall, to Rise 27
5. Lonely 33
6. Quiet 40
7. Leaving 52
Part II: The Journey
8. Jonathan Glazer 59
9. Beast, Birth 66
10. The Novel 77
11. The Birth of Under the Skin 90
12. Scarlett Johansson 100
13. Film4 and the ­Money-Road to Production 111
14. Setting the Stage 117
15. A Camera the Size of a Box of Matches 130
16. “A Kind of Dreamscape” 142
17. Forget What She’s Done 152
18. Alchemy 165
Part III: The World of Under the Skin
19. Opposites Attract 181
20. The Alien in the Mirror 190
21. Laura and Her Cousins 198
22. The Family of ­Non-Humans: Aliens, Androids and Clones 212
Epilogue 228
Appendix 233
Chapter Notes 239
Bibliography 251
Index 257

“Superb…indispensable…sets an impressively high bar.”—Film International