Scarlett Johansson is a much-talked-about Hollywood star, renowned for her fearless and audacious portrayals in various movies. Her adaptability and willingness to take on challenging characters have earned her admiration from audiences and reviewers alike. Johansson doesn’t shy away from incorporating nudity and intimate scenes into her roles if they contribute to the plot and lend authenticity to her characters.
Initially, the main attraction for audiences to Jonathan Glazer’s film, Under the Skin, was the fact that Scarlett Johansson appeared nude in the movie. Nevertheless, the movie has more depth than just that. Johansson portrays a character who hails from another world and uses her charm to coax men into her abode for a strange feeding ritual. An intriguing aspect of Johansson’s portrayal is that she deliberately abstained from appearing too alluring in her role.
Jonathan Glazer’s sci-fi movie gained traction as audiences recognized the profound themes the film explored. Interestingly, the film’s nudity almost didn’t happen if Scarlett Johansson didn’t approve of it. In an interview with W Magazine, Johansson revealed her reasoning for embracing nudity in the film. In the opening scene, Johansson’s character is shown undressing a woman who had been “kidnapped,” and this added an intriguing layer to the production process.
For the majority of the movie, Johansson sported an unconventional wardrobe that was purposely selected to align with her on-screen persona. Her character also rocked a dated black hairstyle, further emphasizing her unique identity. The actress aimed to depict nudity in a practical and non-sexualized manner, steering clear of the typical bombshell stereotype. Instead, Johansson’s goal was to embody a different species, making nudity a necessary part of her portrayal. To distinguish her character even further, she opted for black hair rather than the traditional blonde bombshell look. Despite these distinctive creative choices, Under The Skin didn’t quite capture the attention of audiences.
Although Under the Skin received critical praise and Scarlett Johansson delivered an impressive performance, it failed to resonate with the general audience. The movie reportedly cost $13 million to produce but only generated $5.4 million in ticket sales. To put this in perspective, even a midnight screening of Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Johansson played a supporting role, surpassed the earnings of Under the Skin. It’s possible that Johansson’s decision to downplay her character’s beauty and adopt a more subdued appearance might have affected the box office performance. While this creative choice was fitting for her portrayal of an alien character, a conventional and glamorous depiction could have appealed to a wider audience, perhaps with the help of some clever photo editing.