Under the Skin
A moving personal story in which the anonymous central character describes the harrowing details of life with an eating disorder. L has suffered this condition for many years, and reveals what brought her to this point, along with her hopes and dreams for a brighter future. Professional experts discuss the reality of life for the many thousands who endure eating disorders.
The film struggled financially against its limited budget of $13.3M, earning $7.2M globally (-46% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the documentary genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Under the Skin (2014) reveals meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Jonathan Glazer's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 48 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
The Female
The Deformed Man
The Bad Man
The Motorcyclist
Main Cast & Characters
The Female
Played by Scarlett Johansson
An alien entity disguised as a beautiful woman who preys on men in Scotland, gradually experiencing awakening to humanity and empathy.
The Deformed Man
Played by Adam Pearson
A man with neurofibromatosis whom the Female encounters, sparking her first genuine emotional connection and questioning of her mission.
The Bad Man
Played by Dave Acton
A predatory logger who attempts to sexually assault the Female in the woods, representing human cruelty and exploitation.
The Motorcyclist
Played by Jeremy McWilliams
A mysterious handler who monitors the Female's activities and cleans up evidence, enforcing the alien mission.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Abstract cosmic imagery gives way to the construction of an eye—the alien entity is being born or assembled. A point of light becomes a pupil, establishing the alien's cold, observational perspective before it takes human form.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when The Female successfully lures her first victim into the van, beginning her active hunting phase. She seduces a man in a nightclub, leading him to a derelict house where he sinks into a black void while following her naked form—the alien harvesting process is revealed in its terrifying abstraction.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to On a remote Scottish beach, the Female watches a family tragedy unfold—a woman drowns attempting rescue, her husband follows, leaving their toddler screaming on the shore. The Female ignores the crying baby, coldly bludgeoning the surviving swimmer who tried to help. This scene marks her full commitment to her inhuman mission, crossing a moral threshold., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The Female releases Adam from the void—a false defeat for her mission but the beginning of her transformation. She abandons the white van in the fog on a rural road, effectively deserting her role as predator. This irreversible choice splits the film: she is no longer hunter but wanderer, beginning her doomed attempt to experience humanity., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 81 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, During attempted intimacy, the Female examines herself and discovers the void between her legs—she has no human anatomy, only the appearance of one. She flees the kind man's house into the night, her attempt at humanity revealed as impossible. She cannot become what she only resembles., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The logger attacks and attempts to rape the Female in the forest. In the struggle, her human skin tears, revealing the black alien form beneath. She has crossed into Act 3—her disguise is destroyed, her true nature exposed. There is no returning to either world now., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Under the Skin's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Under the Skin against these established plot points, we can identify how Jonathan Glazer utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Under the Skin within the documentary genre.
Jonathan Glazer's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Jonathan Glazer films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Under the Skin takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jonathan Glazer filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional documentary films include Black Butterflies, Bambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods and Eternal You. For more Jonathan Glazer analyses, see The Zone of Interest, Birth.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Abstract cosmic imagery gives way to the construction of an eye—the alien entity is being born or assembled. A point of light becomes a pupil, establishing the alien's cold, observational perspective before it takes human form.
Theme
The Female practices human speech, repeating fragmented phrases in the van. Her mechanical attempts to mimic human language and connection reveal the film's central question: can an outsider learn to pass as human, and what is lost or gained in translation?
Worldbuilding
The Female acquires her human disguise from a dead woman, dresses in a shopping center, and begins prowling Glasgow streets in a white van. The Motorcyclist is established as her handler/cleaner. The predatory routine is established: she cruises for isolated men, asking for directions.
Disruption
The Female successfully lures her first victim into the van, beginning her active hunting phase. She seduces a man in a nightclub, leading him to a derelict house where he sinks into a black void while following her naked form—the alien harvesting process is revealed in its terrifying abstraction.
Resistance
The Female refines her hunting technique across multiple encounters, learning to read human desire and vulnerability. She picks up various men—a swimmer, club-goers—each disappearing into the black void. The Motorcyclist monitors her progress and cleans up evidence. She operates as a perfect predator, emotionally detached.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
On a remote Scottish beach, the Female watches a family tragedy unfold—a woman drowns attempting rescue, her husband follows, leaving their toddler screaming on the shore. The Female ignores the crying baby, coldly bludgeoning the surviving swimmer who tried to help. This scene marks her full commitment to her inhuman mission, crossing a moral threshold.
Mirror World
The Female encounters Adam, a severely disfigured man (Adam Pearson) on the street. Unlike her other prey, she engages with genuine curiosity about his isolation and loneliness. His vulnerability and otherness mirror her own alien existence—he is also someone who doesn't fit into the human world.
Premise
The Female continues her predatory routine but something shifts after meeting Adam. She lures him to the void house, but in an unprecedented act, allows him to escape. She studies herself in the mirror, examining her human form with new intensity. The Motorcyclist pursues the escaped Adam. She begins noticing human experiences differently—a fly trapped in a window, her own reflection.
Midpoint
The Female releases Adam from the void—a false defeat for her mission but the beginning of her transformation. She abandons the white van in the fog on a rural road, effectively deserting her role as predator. This irreversible choice splits the film: she is no longer hunter but wanderer, beginning her doomed attempt to experience humanity.
Opposition
The Female attempts to live as human. She wanders Glasgow, tries to eat cake in a restaurant (and vomits), rides a bus through stunning Scottish highlands. A kind man takes her in, shows her gentle humanity—television, warmth, care. She attempts intimacy with him but discovers her alien body cannot accommodate human sexuality, fleeing in horror from what she lacks.
Collapse
During attempted intimacy, the Female examines herself and discovers the void between her legs—she has no human anatomy, only the appearance of one. She flees the kind man's house into the night, her attempt at humanity revealed as impossible. She cannot become what she only resembles.
Crisis
The Female wanders alone through the Scottish forest, sleeping rough in a bothy. She is utterly isolated—rejected by both her alien purpose and human connection. A logger finds her and initially seems helpful, but his intentions darken. She has become the vulnerable prey she once hunted.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The logger attacks and attempts to rape the Female in the forest. In the struggle, her human skin tears, revealing the black alien form beneath. She has crossed into Act 3—her disguise is destroyed, her true nature exposed. There is no returning to either world now.
Synthesis
The Female peels away her human skin entirely, holding her own face in her hands—Scarlett Johansson's visage stares back with blinking eyes, the ultimate image of alienation from self. The terrified logger returns with petrol and sets her ablaze. She stumbles burning through the snow-covered forest.
Transformation
The Female collapses in flames as black smoke rises into the grey Scottish sky. She who observed humanity from behind constructed eyes is now destroyed by human cruelty—the violence she once perpetrated returned upon her. Her attempt to feel, to become, ends in annihilation. The final image mirrors the opening: not an eye forming, but smoke dissolving into void.