Skincare: reviews

What the critics say average 6.3 from 21 outlets

• 10 San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen Johnson The genius of “Skincare” is how it uses Los Angeles and its image- and celebrity-driven culture as a metaphor for empty lives. Read
• 8.0 The Wall Street JournalKyle Smith The tone is dry farce that never strays into camp, with a mildly sardonic appreciation of oddballs recalling such Robert Altman films as “The Long Goodbye.” A creepily discordant musical score by Fatima Al Qadiri adds immensely to the feeling that everyone is hiding something and no good will come of it. Read
• 7.7 The WrapWilliam Bibbiani Austin Peters’ “Skincare” knows exactly what it’s doing, balancing a sense of total desperation with just enough camp to convey its nightmarish situations without ruining your day. Read
• 7.5 Roger EbertTomris Laffly The film’s greatest asset, along with a sun-dappled cinematography, Banks is certainly game for every shade of Hope in her journey of poor decisions, escalated by bad luck and an eerie city that couldn’t care less about who falls down or survives the elements unscratched. In that, “Skincare” nails a routine well worth investing in. Read
• 7.5 Chicago Sun-TimesRichard Roeper “Skincare” is like a quick trip to the local spa. It’s not going to change your life, but it provides instant gratification and helps you escape for an hour and a half. Read
• 7.0 We Got This CoveredMarco Vito Oddo In 'Skincare,' Elizabeth Banks leads a tense, socially conscious thriller that cleverly blends suspense and social commentary to create an engaging, if uneven, experience. Read
• 7.0 IGNLena Wilson Though Skincare’s script lacks bite or balance, Elizabeth Banks gives a riveting lead performance with assistance from Lewis Pullman as her sketchy sidekick. Read
• 7.0 Los Angeles TimesKatie Walsh Banks’ and Pullman’s deliveries of these tragicomic characters elevate what could have been merely a genre exercise into something more fascinating and satirical. Read
• 7.0 Film ThreatMichael Talbot-Haynes Skincare is the perfect vehicle for Banks’s style, the cinematic equivalent of a Barbie-mobile with 60s Cadillac fins. The audience gets to ride shotgun as she speeds through the flashy, splashy visuals to get to the long tunnels of persecution. Read
• 6.3 ObserverLaura Babiak Fortunately, despite its stranger-than-fiction premise, this thriller does have a handful of interesting ideas outside of the realm of true crime. Unfortunately, it also all but abandons those ideas in its messy third act, making for a mixed bag of a movie. Read
• 6.1 Paste MagazineNatalia Keogan Disappointing but not outright disastrous, Skincare never penetrates past superficial observations of how beauty, success and artificiality constantly commingle among the Los Angeles elite. Read
• 6.0 Screen RantMary Kassel The overarching problem is the film's tendency to be a touch too shallow, even if that's the point of the narrative. Finding out more about Hope's hidden past, the supporting characters, and the big lives everyone hints at would have made the story more compelling and helped the characters feel real. Read
• 6.0 ABC NewsPeter Travers Beauty can be an ugly business, and Peters, with help from ace cinematographer Christopher Ripley and editor Laura Zempel, knows just how to show the fear that manifests with the appearance of even a few wrinkles. In this world, aging is scarier than any movie monster. Read
• 6.0 The GuardianLeslie Felperin Skincare is a worthy contribution to the growing microgenre of female-led beauty-themed horror, and some of us out here are ready for more. Read
• 6.0 MicropsiaDiego Lerer Handling this kind of social satire well requires a command of the story's different elements (the performances, mainly, but also the credibility of what happens), and that is something that doesn't quite work here. Read
• 5.8 IndiewireAlison Foreman How we look from the outside versus how we are on the inside doesn’t always lineup, and that disparity can shake the visions we have of ourselves. The metaphor extends to “Skincare” itself as a film that looks bright on its face but ends up dull despite its best efforts and self-care. Read
• 5.0 ReelViewsJames Berardinelli Skincare feels like it wants to be a screwball caper movie but the comedy gets lost along the way. Read
• 5.0 VarietyCourtney Howard While it’s expected that creative liberties will be taken, especially given its roots as a tabloid-style news story, it’s surprising that the filmmakers chose to leave out details that would have enhanced their portrayal. Read
• 4.2 The A.V. ClubBrianna Zigler It’s a film about the costs of selling your own superficiality to the world only ends up just as superficial. Read
• 3.8 Movie NationRoger Moore “Skincare” sets us up for something dark and scintillating, a sinister descent into desperation. But it’s as frustrating as a fresh wedding day zit, and sadly, about as inconsequential. Read
• 3.0 ColliderTaylor Gates The characters somehow behave both flatly and erratically, driving a cliché plot that manages to be both overly simplistic and confusing. Take care of your skin — and sanity — by sitting this one out. Read