The superior Scarlett Johansson sci-fi thriller is now streaming for free

Image: A24/Everett Collection

In our digital age, numerous films achieve a strange, fragmented kind of fame through the lens of “excerpt culture.” A single joke, a haunting frame, or a solitary scene can circulate globally, divorced entirely from the narrative it originated from. Consider the iconic GIF of Chow Yun-fat flashing a thumbs-up—it is ubiquitous online, yet few recognize its source material, A Better Tomorrow II. Similarly, while Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce is a dense, multilayered experience, it exists in the collective horror consciousness almost exclusively as a showcase for Mathilda May’s vampire.

<p>This phenomenon often does a disservice to the source material. By stripping these moments of their original context, the internet reduces nuanced storytelling into mere aesthetic scraps for the ongoing mill of online discourse.</p>

<p><a href="https://collider.com/scarlett-johansson-under-the-skin/" target="_blank"><em>Under the Skin</em></a> serves as a primary example. Widely regarded as one of the most unsettling cinematic achievements of 2014 and a staple on "best of the 21st century" <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-21st-century.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lists</a>, the film is frequently remembered not for its artistic vision, but for the moments featuring Scarlett Johansson in various states of undress. Consequently, while isolated clips from the movie are easy to find, the full, immersive experience remains unseen by most. Fortunately, the barrier to entry has never been lower: <em>Under the Skin</em> is currently available to stream for free on Tubi.</p>

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<p>In <em>Under the Skin</em>, Johansson portrays a nameless, extraterrestrial entity stalking the lonely, isolated figures wandering through Scotland. Her methodology is chillingly simple: lure the unsuspecting into a void, where they are erased from existence.</p>

<p>While the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123063.Under_the_Skin" target="_blank">original 2000 novel</a> is explicit about the premise—where the protagonist, Isserley, harvests humans as a delicacy for her species—the film opts for a more ethereal, Lynchian approach. It functions as an arthouse reimagining of <a href="https://www.polygon.com/23584915/sci-fi-neo-noir-movies-femme-fatales/" target="_blank"><em>Species</em></a>, but devoid of the typical government conspiracies or exposition-heavy dialogue. The narrative is as opaque as its protagonist; you only learn what she chooses to show you, which is remarkably little.</p>

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    <div class="responsive-img image-expandable img-article-item" style="padding-bottom:56.212696690179%" data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/under-the-skin-2013-scarlett-johannson-3.jpg" data-img-desc="Scarlett Johannson in Under the Skin (2013)" data-modal-id="single-image-modal" data-modal-container-id="single-image-modal-container" data-img-caption="Source: A24">
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            <figcaption>Scarlett Johannson in Under the Skin (2013)</figcaption>
            <small class="body-img-caption">Source: A24</small>
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<p>Beneath the surface, the film functions as a meditation on the human condition, viewed through the eyes of an alien outsider. Johansson’s character exhibits a detached fascination with the mundane—the movement of ants, the nuances of human anatomy, and the social rituals of others. She displays no malice, merely the cold curiosity of a biologist working in the field.</p>

<p>This clinical tone permeates the film’s visual style. The first 14 minutes pass without a single word of dialogue, relying entirely on Mica Levi’s discordant score to drive the tension. By utilizing hidden cameras and a cast composed largely of non-professional actors, the director crafts an experience that feels less like a traditional thriller and more like an immersive, alien ethnographic documentary.</p>

<p>The film’s commercial failure is not difficult to parse; its deliberate pacing and reliance on atmospheric, static shots defy traditional blockbuster sensibilities. However, for the patient viewer, <em>Under the Skin</em> is impossible to shake. Its imagery leaves a permanent mark on the subconscious.</p>

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            <small class="body-img-caption">Source: A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection</small>
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<p>In retrospect, <em>Under the Skin</em> serves as the final installment in a thematic trilogy examining Johansson’s own public identity. Having been a household name since her breakout in Sofia Coppola’s <em>Lost in Translation</em> and elevated to global superstardom via <a href="https://www.polygon.com/22893531/avengers-2012-marvel-movies-phase-4/" target="_blank"><em>The Avengers</em></a>, Johansson used this period to deconstruct her own image.</p>

<p>In 2013’s <a href="https://collider.com/her-movie-review/" target="_blank"><em>Her</em></a>, she is reduced to a disembodied digital commodity; in 2014’s <em>Lucy</em>, she transitions from a victim to a god-like entity. <em>Under the Skin</em> completes the cycle by presenting her as a concealed predator—a beautiful, synthetic trap waiting to spring. These performances act as a meta-commentary on the nature of celebrity: she is the product we’ve all purchased, though perhaps we never stopped to read the fine print.</p>

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<p><em>Under the Skin</em> is currently streaming on Tubi.</p>

Source: Polygon