Skincare

I'll watch anything with Elizabeth Banks in it, even this predictable, hamfisted attempt at crime thriller. It starts out ok with a set up that makes you think there's an actual satisfying resolution in its future, but utterly fails to deliver a character arc, or an ending that doesn't feel under developed. There's absolutely nothing memorable about this or even on par with current cinematic standards of excellence. Without the A-list lead and budget, it'd be an OK student film that might get into a mid level film festival, that's it. There's really no reason to watch this unless you're just super bored.

Skincare is a stylish edge of your seat thriller. The cinematography was lush and rich, turning a typically drab LA into a visual feast. The tone of the film was pitch perfect with well deserved laughs piercing through the anxiety inducing thrills. Elizabeth Banks was at her best playing a conniving narcissist. As a viewer her deterioration into paranoia is palpable, with each monkey wrench that is thrown at her. You're left rooting for her and hating her at the same time. Lewis Pullman played the perfect coked out villain fitting for the founder euphoria of the 2010s. The underrated MJ Rodriguez while appearing sparingly was also perfect.

Austin Peters' first feature film invites us to enter the world of skin care and a toxic narcissistic environment that is soaked in a pleasant dose of black humor, even when it makes horrible decisions. It is a journey with ups and downs, but it is delivered by an inspired Elizabeth Banks who shines with her own light and carries on her shoulders, a thriller that in the cunning of her interpretation makes the darkest moments of the film shine; it is not that the film is flawed, it is quite acceptable and becomes pleasant as we enter into the deep intrigue that professes its story. However, there are moments in which the film is somewhat complicated in carrying out the whole journey well to reach its final climax. The script does a great job of conveying the particularly feminine paranoia of its protagonist, but its plot doesn't quite fit together to keep it constantly on top without making certain decisions noticeable that end up taking away the power that it seems to carry with elegance at times. Despite the script's limitations, it should not be completely discarded, especially because of the encouraging staging of its director, who demonstrates an elegant handling of visual aesthetics and complements his work with the gratifying photography of Christopher Ripley who manages to immerse this entire journey in a pleasant thriller that at times recalls that eighties style on screen that turns out to be quite gratifying. A fulfilling film that has its moments that make it worthy of a chance.

It's disappointing to hear that a film like 'Skincare' failed badly at the box office. But sadly, it's also not surprising. Movie tickets are expensive and if people are going to make the effort to go out and pay all that money then they want something that demands to be seen on the big screen. And it's a shame because 'Skincare' is a decent little film. It can be quite an unpleasant thing to watch a movie about someone's life being destroyed. It can give quite an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. This film does it well. It doesn't go over the top with anything, but it does more than enough to keep you invested and wanting the right side to prevail. Probably where the film falls down is its lack of ability to surprise. The film is a whodunit of sorts but it isn't going to drop your jaw to the floor at any stage. Still, it was a good time and had me interested for the full run time. 8/10.

Was this in theaters? It looks and feel like a made-for-streaming movie. Banks looks great in the movie, and... that's about it. The plot is bland, very predictable, Nothing much to do with skincare, this could have been about fashion, cakes, anything really. They could have done something smart like having a toxic skincare product or something like that but no. The villains are a joke and the main character (Banks) is not very smart, or at least not acting like one. The only good trick she pulled is with that TV anchor. Presumably, based on a true story, but if its linear and boring who cares if its true? Make it interesting at least. There is nothing at the end of what happened to the real people, so for all intent and purpose this could just as well be made up. Anyway, if you're into Elizabeth Banks and skin products you might endure this move for 1.5 hrs, but the rest should stay away, seriously not worth your $$ even for streaming. Exact score: 51 / 100.

Elizabeth Banks makes for a dazzling skincare specialist in a middling thriller with an interesting setup. The biggest letdown is the predictability factor-the screenplay follows the same route that thriller audiences can see coming twelve miles away. I like how the film is set in 2013, right before social media took everyone's lives by storm. I think the film works in totality owing to Banks' presence. Music video director Austin Peters' effort certainly showcases some debutant snags, but those don't really affect the overall viewing experience. In its favour, the film is fairly fast-paced and just 1h 35m long-so you'll be in and out of it in roughly no time. P. S. Now, when do we get a body horror flick with the same title by Brandon Cronenberg?

You shouldn't need much (or any) film literacy to guess "the baddie" in the first 10 minutes or so and that's kinda disappointing. Banks is pretty good in a more serious role, but the rest of the film feels like it's creaking around her. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a period piece, but the soundtrack felt incredibly dated and a little anachronistic to modern times. Opening with QOTSA is kinda embarrassing. A significant weakness though was the failure to cast Armie Hammer - that could have given the film a bit of an edge and at least a trace of the irony that should have been there. Other than that, it's hard to care about the characters - it's an aesthetician for god's sake, sorry, but I suspect a lot of people are going to struggle empathising with the main character.