SKIN Trailer

A skinhead takes the long road to reform in Skin, the latest from writer and director Guy Nattiv.

The most difficult task for this movie is obvious: it has to overcome an inherently unlikable character. A horrifying character, actually, as the protagonist is based on a man who was born and raised a skinhead. It was his entire world, which means extricating himself came at a high cost. But with a family of his own, it became clear that the life wouldn’t lead to safety and security. Questioning it was one thing, but actually getting out was another. That journey pushed him beyond what he could imagine.

Pulling off such a tricky story would be difficult for anyone. Luckily, Nattiv is no newbie to dealing with fraught material. His short Skin (an unrelated story that also dealt with race) took home last year’s Oscar for live action short, and that gives hope that he’ll bring similar finesse to this feature.

Also lending some security to the project is Jamie Bell, who comes to the lead role with a long history of impressive turns dating back to Billy Elliot. Backing him up is the formidable likes of Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga, and Danielle Macdonald.

It’s material that could go wrong in a number of ways, but it’s got the right kind of people behind it. Strong reviews from its festival run bolsters hope, so tentatively hold your breath for this one.

Skin is directed by Guy Nattiv and stars Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, and Daniel Henshall. It will be released in the US on DirecTV on June 27th, 2019 and in the theaters July 26th, 2019. For international release dates, click here.

Are you interested in this film? Let us know in the comments!