The Skin I Live In Review

The Skin I Live In - Blu Ray/DVD Combo Available Here

Pedro Almodovar put together one of the most compelling and horrific movies I’ve ever seen. I forget to talk about it, so today, we’re going to take a look back at the 2011 movie “The Skin I Live In”, as it is one of the most horror filled, psychological thrillers I’ve ever seen. It’s a very fascinating movie that moves towards horror as the story reveals. It’s perhaps the finest Spanish movie I’ve seen in a long time, and if you haven’t seen it, oh boy, you’re in for a serious trip.

The movie is simple enough. A plastic surgeon has been working towards helping create a resource for individuals that have skin disorders. He works on mice, and there’s been great results. He talks about how he has been working with live individuals, and upon doing so, he is fired. The doctor now without help is told to stop experimenting immediately, etc.



The movie then moves into a psychological mind warp. You are given scenes from the past, present, and through that you realize that the doctor has dealt with issues. It’s here that we are introduced to a revenge plot. The main purpose of the larger story is simple enough, Robert is holding a woman captive, however, it’s not really a woman. He has been slowly transforming a male into a female, to be his wife after he captures him. He is doing this because he committed rape, and therefore a “revenge plot” is what you’re really seeing, albeit throw various perspectives. The plot is well put together, and is like a tightening C-Clamp of sorts. The reveal of who Vincente is, and what Robert is doing only gets more and more warped. Then when you think that this is going to end up predictable, things get “real”.

Overall, “The Skin I Live In” is one of the most specifically jarring movies that you can see. It features a lot of taboos, mainly dealing with rape, kidnapping, and gender reassignment. It’s a hard movie to watch, especially with some of the sequences being so blatant in their focus. However, the bigger story, the visual design, and the dialogue is rock solid. It’s perhaps one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and Almodovar has once again created a work of art.

If you haven’t seen this movie, or perhaps question whether or not it’s a horror movie, go back and see it again. It has some seriously disturbing plot points, and really isn’t for the faint of heart, or those that have dealt with trauma in the past. “The Skin I Live In” is on par with “Silence of the Lambs” in terms of disturbance to the psyche. It’s artfully crafted, and wickedly brilliant, albeit a hard hitting psychologically jarring story.

Movie collectors, pick up "The Skin I Live In" via amazon here.