Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Watch Scarlett Johansson as an alien seductress in Under the Skin trailer

The actress plays the mysterious Laura who preys on men in Scotland

Jess Denham
Wednesday 12 February 2014 16:06 GMT
Comments
Scarlett Johansson as femme fatale alien Laura in Under the Skin
Scarlett Johansson as femme fatale alien Laura in Under the Skin (Under the Skin)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The first trailer for upcoming sci-fi thriller Under the Skin has revealed Scarlett Johansson in her latest role…as an alien femme-fatale using a dead woman’s body for disguise.

The US actress, 29, plays the intriguing part of Laura, who stalks Glasgow's streets looking for men to target, before seducing them, imprisoning them in sticky black goo and stealing their souls. Until one special encounter leads her to end her mission, that is.

In the trailer, Johansson, complete with dark hair and red lipstick, is seen stripping down to black underwear.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asks her victims, during  a two-minute clip which features dream-like landscapes, trippy lights and a burning wood.

Questioned about Johansson's erotic role in Under the Skin by the LA Times, Glazer said: "Nudity was very important in the film, but I didn't want to make the film about Scarlett’s nudity."

The movie was shot using directorial subterfuge, as Johansson drove around Glasgow in a van filled with hidden cameras. She persuaded real male strangers to climb into her vehicle before eventually explaining to some of that that they had unknowingly joined a film.

Glazer ( Sexy Beast, Birth) has said that the point of the method was to depict real life as an alien would view it, even though sometimes three hours of shooting would result in no useable scenes.

Under the Skin premiered at the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals, where critics gave it mixed reviews. The Independent's Kaleem Aftab gave the film one star, calling it a "laughably bad alien hitchiker movie".

Under the Skin is released in UK cinemas on 14 March

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in