In My Skin (2002) User Reviews

A fascinating study of human behavior

[danielhsf · 5/10 · 9 January 2005]

Many people couldn't respond to the lack of easy answers in this movie, but I think one of the reasons why they did not provide any easy answers for this movie is simply because there really isn't any easy answers for these acts. In fact, I think if the makers tried to force down a message or a motive (like what the director of Monster did), it'll just be another gore flick with nothing to look out for.

For me, the most disturbing aspect of In My Skin, is the fact that it did not disturb me at all. The extremely gory scenes were presented in such a normal way, that after awhile I got used to seeing them, accepting them as commonplace and that scares me. I was surprised at the way self-mutilation was presented in this movie. I went in expecting it to show it as ugly and awful, but the scariest thing is, towards the end of the movie, the violence towards herself becomes so beautiful.

I find it intriguing that Esther's self-mutilation and auto-cannibalism does not stem from self-loathing or hatred of her own body. In fact, it definitely seems to me that she is more fascinated and in love with her body thus provoking her to get into this stuff.

SPOILERS

Her fascination with mutilation did not come from the fact that she fell and got the ugly wound on her leg, it came only after she had it bandaged, and it started to itch and ooze pus and split open. In the first self-mutilation scene, it feels almost as if she becomes intrigued by her wound pushing her to start exploring what is beneath her skin. The effect came across to me as being not unlike a boy in puberty who first discovers the many wonders of his little Johnny and explores it in all the most pleasurable ways possible.

In fact, the progression of this fascination seems almost metaphoric to the masturbating boy, although I hesitate to bring in terms like 'metaphors' and 'allegories', because they sound so intellectual. The shame she felt at what she had done causing her to crash her car and make up an elaborate excuse of her injuries to her boyfriend, it seems, is alike to the boy who discovers carnal pleasures and later regrets at his 'sinful' indulgence. It often brings into mind the notion of those who indulge in hedonism and later after thinking back on what they had done, feels the pang of guilt from societal rules. On its own, these acts are neither harmful nor destructive to anybody (save for the person who does these acts onto himself, but then again if this person does not feel pain as being painful, how can it qualify as 'hurt'?), and it is only because it is viewed as abnormal and perverse, that they feel guilty.

Throughout these acts of self-mutilation and auto-cannibalism, it struck me that the way she sucked at her own blood and nibbled at her skin; and the way she caressed the large piece of skin she had carved out from herself, seem to me as if she was making love to herself. Locking herself up in a hotel room and taking pictures of her mutilated self seems more like an act of masturbation to the extent of narcissistic abandon than something downright repulsive. The pleasure on her face as she moved her carved-out skin around her face even made me start to eye my own skin funny.

But perhaps the reason why this act is seen upon as perverse smells more of societal concerns. The behavior of Esther, first and foremost, is an anti-social behavior. She derives pleasure entirely from her self, to the extent of shutting out everybody in her life (she is deaf to her boyfriend's worries, and in the most telling scene, she picks at her hand with her knife under the table as her friends eat), and probably the need for wholeness in the society frowns upon acts like these that asserts independence and individualism. Perhaps that is why after so many years of people doing it, masturbation is still taboo in discussions, stirring up the alarm bells that society has injected into our blood through the many generations.

END OF SPOILERS

But look what you can into this film, well after all it's a French film, and if it isn't experimental, pushing-edge and thought-provoking, it isn't French enough right? Despite being completely devoid of any emotional content, it does have some questions about our basis of humanity and our needs, it only depends on how much you want to look. And if you look enough, you'd probably uncover many 'metaphors' and 'symbolism' that your brain so craves to provide intellectual masturbation. I heard one American critic saying, 'whatever symbolism or underlying message this film attempts to offer, it is ultimately weighed down by its revolting imagery'. Revolting or beautiful, perhaps depends on which point of view you are coming from and what baggage you bring to the film, but ignoring the entire basis of the film is plain stupid.

For me, well I didn't love this movie as much as I sound I do here, but it is a nice food movie with a positive tone about a girl who learns how to love herself through eating herself, regardless of how weird it sounds.

So go see this movie before it ends, it doesn't matter if you have an iron stomach or not, what matters more is that at best, it gives enough to masturbate our egos by feeding ourselves intellectual thoughts (something I'm certain that many very intellectual critics didn't get); at worst it is a heck lot entertaining to see someone eating herself, and your food options will be broadened.

An Unengaging Look at an Interesting Idea

[MattBirk · 5/10 · 25 May 2015]

In My Skin wasn't nearly as intriguing or repulsive as I was led on to believe, unfortunately. While it does feature some nasty self-mutilation which eventually leads to cannibalism, the movie was quite tame when compared to others in the French Extremity. However, that wasn't the problem with the movie, my main problem with Skin was it was basically a bore most of the time.

What the movie does extremely well is display the power of addiction has on a user. Like most cases, the first time use seems harmless or happens by accident, something the user thinks nothing of. But over time that addiction grows and grows and becomes something the person wasn't expecting, an addiction. In My Skin does exactly that, the first time she gets hurt it is by accident and she merely brushes it off. But as the movie progresses, she becomes more fascinated with that 'high' which pulls her deeper into her addiction. Displaying classic signs of the powers of addiction, her love life, professional life, and personal life are now falling apart before her eyes. And to no surprise, she slowly pushes everyone around her away and anyone willing to help her is given some type of excuse and hide her dirty secret. It's hard not to appreciate how well this part of the movie is expressed.

But while the allegory of addiction is represented quite well, the movie itself is rather slow and unengaging (which is surprising given its premise). It's kind of like an addiction, we are anxiously waiting for her next 'use' (aka the drug) and everything else is just dull and monotonous. In My Skin boils down to two things, it's an interesting look at a very bizarre addiction, but it lacks the characteristics to spin the movie in an intriguing manner.

self-destruction or self-discovery?

[xBMVHx · 7/10 · 28 July 2003]

***possible spoilers***

i found this film to be both disturbing and beautiful. Marina de van outdoes herself in her various roles as director, writer, and principal actor. She had complete faith in the story she was telling and as a result so did i. There wasn't one moment where i considered what i was watching to be impossible and fantastical -- it was all extremely, painfully real. I'm sure that people will ascribe various kinds of meaning to the self- mutilation in the film, but to me it spoke of alienation from those things that are central to our lives: our work and our relationships with other people. On the cusp of what, from the outside, seems like success in both of these realms, esther (the central character) badly injures her leg but doesn't even notice for several hours...there's a kind of numbness in her. Through the wound, she becomes fascinated with her flesh and blood and can't resist opening herself up more and more. As a result her seemingly successful life begins to fall apart. But is it self-destruction or self-discovery? Did she really know what she wanted...did she really know herself at all? The film doesn't answer these questions, but most films that have a profound emotional impact never do answer the important questions. They're left up to the audience to answer in whatever way makes the most sense.

This one got under MY skin

[moviechic_Carrie · 3 November 2003]

Synopsis :After falling and cutting her leg severely at a party, Esther becomes obsessed with the lack of pain she experienced. She begins inflicting wounds in the area where she was originally hurt and slowly becomes obsessed with the touch and taste of her own skin.

Overview : Not many movies have put me in a situation to where I NEEDED to turn them off just to regroup. For me, this is a GOOD sign!

*Atmosphere This movie isn't as dark as it sounds, if that makes sense. The surroundings for Esther are very bright - home, work, hanging out with friends. So when she starts going a bit mad, it's extra freaky. The music I felt added a big part to my overall feelings. *Cast/Characters I felt that Marina de Van did a marvelous job! Nothing was lost in the translation and even though you have to read the story, where to main visual effects come into play you didn't lose anything with words. I don't know if it was because the actress is also the writer and director and she was able to do her own vision but a job well done!

*F/X Not many opportunities for intense F/X but it's the subtle ones that really made my tummy turn. Whenever something looks very realistic (or basically looks like it COULD be something that happens to YOU) then that really gets....under my skin! *Pace Pretty smooth movie with only a few moments that just lingered a bit too long on Ester's "eating" habits! I quick push of the FWD button and I was safe again. My advice, don't eat pizza while watching this film!

Jekyll's Thoughts : An amazing movie that I am glad I had the opportunity to watch. I look forward to seeing what de Van has up her sleeve in the future. I give this one a 3 star rating If it makes it to your local vid store, make sure and check it out.

Good but other than disturbing you I don't see the point

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 5 May 2008]

Dark film about a woman who becomes fascinated with her skin and self mutilation after an accident leaves her with a wound. Graphic and tough to sit through the film raises the spotlight on an extreme form of behavior that in milder forms can lead to people cutting themselves. What makes things more disturbing is the behavior isn't explained, it just is. I liked the film, as much as one can, however I was disappointed in that the film just sort of ended. Clearly its a character study more then a narrative, but at the same time I didn't get anything out of it, I just finished the film with a sense of "thats it?" Recommended only for those with strong constitutions and those wishing to be disturbed

Just because its unsettling doesn't make it bad

[Healing_Process · 7/10 · 7 September 2010]

In the slow, hidden meaning, and dark secret kind of movies, we come across something like this.

Once again, in western type movies, the protagonist always have to throw what they feel at the audience so the audience doesn't have to think. This one will. The fact that she does things that you wouldn't think you do yourself and reacts on it later will have you mind-boggled. we all have our own way of dealing with things. This one tends to deal with a more dark and gruesome way to deal with it. Which is simply fine, if you can stomach some of the scenes in the movie, and love to try to read the underlying meaning within the movie to try to get the real beauty out. Id say give it a watch 7/10

Very disturbing movie about obsessions.

[michel-crolais · 7/10 · 18 January 2006]

The subject of this movie is the report of the obsession that put one young woman to have very special relationship with her own body. Esther is a thirty years old executive who works in an opinion poll. She is on a good way to have very good responsibilities in her job. She has an affair with a young man, Vincent, who loves her, and they are on the point of be married together. One day, Esther goes with her friend Sandrine to a dance party, and she severely injured herself one of her legs, but she don't perceive that immediately. Later, when she sees her leg's injury, the wounds fascinate her. Then she begins a very strange game with her body and her blood that leads her into self-mutilation. That pushes this young woman into a physical and social downfall with more and more mutilations that leads her toward madness. This movie is very fascinating, but almost at the limit of tolerable. Very well acted by actor-director Marina de Van, the movie seems to me to be very interesting in spite of his theme's difficulty.

Missing pieces

[joysette · 4/10 · 24 November 2007]

As a mental health researcher, I'm always intrigued by movies that display pathology. So when people start doing things that are not explained by an underlying mental disorder, I get confused. Perhaps because of the translation (or a poorly written story), I just didn't see what her underlying reason was for her self-mutilation. I thought maybe it was something akin to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (evidenced by seeing her disconnected hand on the table at the business dinner). I couldn't quite understand what was going on with her, and I would have liked to see some reasoning for her pathology.

Unfortunately, lacking any sort of character driving force, this movie seemed like an excuse to shock the audience with something on the edge of disturbing and taboo. Because of the lack of character development, it seemed simply to be an exercise in exhibitionism, which certainly dampened the effect of the film.

Over the edge, disturbing and thought-provoking

[Ata-2 · 10/10 · 23 May 2006]

This is a movie made with the confidence of one who knows exactly what she is trying to communicate. The problem is that what is being communicated is so far beyond the norm that it is not going to be easily grasped. Esther is a highly intelligent young woman. The main thread of the story begins when she accidentally injures herself. Through the injury she begins to see her herself as merely meat, an object. Meat can not suffer, has no emotions, has no ambitions, is immune to the pressures and pettiness of everyday life. She finds this release increasingly more fascinating and attractive. This is not something she can communicate to anyone around her so she explores it in secret attempting to finally exist as a mere object devoid of all humanity. Her loneliness adds a cutting edge of sadness to the story. If she found the right person to share her thoughts with we may have ended up with an equally bizarre love story.

I found it difficult to watch this movie all the way through without a break. Some of my friends have not even managed to watch it past the first twenty minutes. If you do manage to sit through this movie, I am pretty sure that not only will you thereafter remember it vividly, you will also find it hard to stop talking about it.

American Psycho with a French/Feminine twist

[Kris_b · 7/10 · 26 June 2006]

Throughout this film i couldn't help but be reminded of American Psycho, both the book and the film. The stories share the exact same overriding theme; the complete and utter emptiness and shallowness of their social and thus emotional landscape leads the protagonist to extreme and violent depths in order to find something that makes them feel anything.

The scene that really stuck out and made this clear for me was the dinner scene. Sat with her wealthy, pretentious work peers or 'friends', discussions include such fascinating topics as 'which city in the world has the best architecture?', which leads one of the group to propose Paris, and then enter a long monologue on why; 'architecture that is so beautiful, but most importantly, consistent' (paraphrased). Just one sound byte of an entire scene of conversation that hemorrhages vapidity and blandness. Meanwhile Esther, in the midst of this, struggles to control her urge to self-harm - and begins cutting herself beneath the table.

In American Psycho, it was this same vapidity and emptiness of his world that lead Patrick Bateman to experiment with murder and extreme violence. In Dans Ma Peau, we see the exact same, but this time that same primal urge to violence that seems to be awakened in their emotionally desolate worlds, is turned inwards instead of out.

Both films seem to suggest that the combined emotional effect of vanity and superficiality creates an emotional gulf that only violence can fill, be it inwards or outwards.

Not as good as people say here

[mardalsfossen01 · 4/10 · 25 September 2018]

You'd be disappointed if you watch it the whole way (no spoilers). It's pretty boring, not much happening, no big showdown.

The main idea is pretty good and disturbing though, yet nowadays there's better Horror movies out there and this would be a waste to watch if you have better options.

cinema therapy movie

[psychotee · 9/10 · 17 March 2006]

Disturbing as "In My Skin" is, the movie frequently pops into my mind. Looking at the film on the surface, I was disturbed by the imagery, as apparently were the other people in the theatre who all left before the movie was over.

This is a movie that, much like "Groundhog Day," might be best used for cinema therapy. On the surface, we see a woman who develops an unusual predilection for self-mutilation. Looking deeper though, I saw a woman who became consumed by her addictions. We would not have been as affected if she had "merely" been an alcoholic, a drug abuser, an anorexic or bulimic.

The woman's self-mutilation becomes a metaphor for any number of other self-destructive behaviors. Her self-mutilation is never seen by her friends or family. Similar to someone with anorexia wearing baggy clothes or a drug addict hiding their pain to the point where people would say, "Wow--I would have never suspected her/him to have that problem."

"In My Skin," lays out a plausible timeline for an addiction. Surely, the woman's friends and family in the film would spend hours later determining what they actually saw or thought they knew or wish they knew about the woman and her addictive behaviors.

"In My Skin" is very very powerful and uses a very disturbing metaphor that if people allowed themselves the chance to see and take the time to discuss, could be very influential long term.

Disgusting body horror with a point

[HailPaimon_ · 6/10 · 28 May 2022]

In My Skin is a disgusting and disturbing film. It follows Esther, a woman who becomes increasingly obsessed with self-mutilation and self-cannibalization after an accident that wounds her leg.

Esther is a tragic figure of sorts. She is intelligent and successful. She's good at her job and looking forward to moving in with her boyfriend. This is all threatened when her tendency for self-destruction starts to put a strain on her relationship and career.

Although there are a few truly grotesque and wince-inducing body horror sequences, including a bizarre and unsettling dinner scene, the film is not simply gross or gory without a point. As it goes on, it becomes clear Esther is suffering from an addiction of sorts, and she goes to great lengths to hide her addiction from her lover, her friends, and her job.

There is an authentic sincerity and dedication to Marina de Van's performance. You get the feeling even Esther herself may not consciously know why she's doing this, just that she needs to satisfy an irresistible urge.

Overall, In My Skin is a disturbing film that successfully uses body horror to explore dissociation and addiction.

Don't see this film.

[jpkjr55 · 1/10 · 23 December 2003]

Do not see this film. There is no plot, no story, and unattractive people. The whole film consists of a woman cutting at parts of her body. I had to look away at many of the bloody scenes. I would have walked out, except I wanted to see how it ended. The ending was ???? Who knows? The small group of people who attended this showing were grumbling on the way out. What a waste!

A Movie that gets under your skin

[dfgriff · 25 February 2004]

The Belcourt Cinema in Nashville warned ticket holders that they would not get a refund if they left the theater as In My Skin, a creepy French quasi-horror film about a girl who cuts into her body, played -- no matter how much they protested. Three people left the theater and one girl looked to be crying. I got light-headed, my forehead felt hot, my stomach wanted to void its contents, and my brain wanted me to flee -- and that was when she went to see the doctor about the cut on her leg. (I had to close my eyes and calm my thoughts for about a minute.) The wound was nasty but it was nothing compared to what she did to herself later. Most of the cutting happened off-camera which on made her actions more gruesome because the imagination had been activated. Just the sound alone was enough to make me cringe. When I slept later that night a nightmare haunted me. My leg was craved of all it flesh and muscle until nothing was left but bone. Yes, this movie truly disturbed me worse than anything I've ever seen. Worse than Texas Chain Saw Massacre or Hellraiser -- mainly because In My Skin was done as a real film. No, serial killers or demons from Hell, just a girl with mental problems.

In My Skin (2002)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 6/10 · 13 December 2011]

In My Skin is a disturbing and very psychological film. It tells the story of a woman that injures herself at a party. Unaware of the severity of the leg wound, she doesn't discover it until later. She gets patched up, but is soon scratching away at the scars. What starts as morbid curiosity soon devolves into obsessional mutilation. The film focuses on self-mutilation in a very sickening way. This is a compulsion that can't be controlled. In typical horror fashion, it takes a serious and very real subject and amplifies it without becoming corny and gimmicky. It was interesting to see a woman destroy herself, which made it both tragic, but also strangely empowering. Overall I found it got to be a bit repetitive, and as the protagonist shoved away most people that cared for her, it just became a series of mutilations.

It'll get under yours

[asda-man · 7/10 · 14 January 2013]

When I bought In my Skin I didn't really know that the whole film was about self-harming and self-mutilation (they both mean the same thing, but it makes me sound cleverer!) I thought it was about a woman who gets something supernatural in her skin, a bit like the killer vines in The Ruins and it was taking over her body and she had to get it out etc. If I had known that In my Skin was about self-harming then I would've been more hesitant about buying it, because I can deal with bodies being dismembered and gallons of blood, but I can't deal with relatable things like cuts and stuff. I cringe at the blood sample scene in The Thing for Christ's sake and I nearly die at that wrist-cutting scene in Martyrs! So what would I be like in this? Well I didn't turn away (I paid for it, so I'm watching it!) but I did cringe. A lot! By the end of it I felt so tense and there was a lot of face scrunching and bloated cheeks. I find it hard to think of a film more cringeier if I'm honest!

However, if you can deal with self-mutilation then you won't find In My Skin too repellent (if you don't find any of it repellent then you need serious help). I found In My Skin to be a profoundly interesting film. However, I could also see why people would find it boring and repetitive because I would've liked to have seen perhaps a stronger narrative. But in terms of a character study, In my Skin is superb! I just can't help but think that it could've been better if it balanced intense character study with engaging plot like Black Swan did so tremendously well. Having said that In My Skin is extremely involving as the camera never leaves our main character (Esther). It follows her around in a mostly hand-held style so that we really get inside her head and for the most part it is really interesting.

There are some quite astonishing moments and I quite liked the way in which it lingered on her self-mutilation because it gave it a disturbingly realistic edge and also conveyed how significant these events are to her. The restaurant scene is a particular stand-out moment as it mixes realism with surrealism so that we really get deep inside Esther's head. I found it clever how everyone's talking, but Esther's not listening and neither are we (well reading). We're as transfixed to her body as she is. Another stand-out moment of directing is the use of split screen towards the end, as we get that horrible oppressive feeling which Esther must feel too.

There's a fantastic sense of a downward spiral and I really like that sort of thing when a character goes on a journey from being normal and ending up as a complete wreck, which is what Darren Aronofsky does so incredibly well. Obviously, In My Skin isn't as fantastic as Aronofsky, but it is a highly memorable and psychologically intense piece of work. The Marina lady who wrote, directed and starred is clearly a talented woman because she does all three tremendously well, although she could do with a slight push in the writing area. In My Skin leaves you feeling filthy which is what a good horror film should do! It's yet another example of superior French horror and shows that they really do know the real meaning of fear.

Although In My Skin may not be as great as other French works such as Calvaire, Inside and Martyrs. It is still a highly thought-provoking and brave film which dares to go where many people don't have the guts to. The intense character development makes the film quite gripping and you end up feeling quite attached to Esther despite her monstrous behaviour, because it's obvious that she's normal at heart, or at least used to be normal. In My Skin is a tragedy in the end and it's full of emotion and directional flourish. It's also one of the cringiest films I've ever seen. I'd recommend it for the brave.

one of the first real French sickies

[trashgang · 5/10 · 9 July 2010]

I would not say that what I just have seen is a real horror. I would call it drama with a little sickening horror twist. I can believe that it isn't for everybody. It was made one year before Haute Tension, the start of the French sickies. The storyline is simple. A simple and normal girl has no problem at all until at a party she falls in a bunch of metal things. She won't make any notice of it and parties on before going to a hospital. There she got the news that she came too late to heal it properly. She has to go under surgery but she doesn't want it. But she becomes obsessed with her wounds. The feeling in her leg goes away and she starts cutting herself until things really go wrong with her. Horror geeks will have a problem with the movie due the reason that they talk a lot, typical for French movies. And drama geeks will cut away once she will go wild on her wounds. So it's up to y'all to watch it. But if you want to see the evolvement of French sickies then you better watch it. At the end of the day, if you liked Cutting Moments than this is your piece of cake.

Highly original French horror...though not for all tastes

[The_Void · 9/10 · 19 June 2008]

In My Skin certainly has some problems; but one of these problems isn't originality, and while things such as a lack of a true plot formula and explanation for the central character's actions may put some viewers off, the film deserves huge credit for stepping out of the mainstream and delivering something a little different to what most film fans will be used to. France has emerged over the past few years as one of the major forces in modern horror cinema, and while this film can't really be judged on the same terms as some of its fellow gory French horrors; it surely does help to bolster the nation's position at the top of the pile. The film represents a big personal project for Marina de Van; who wrote, directs and stars in the film! The plot begins when the central characters injures her leg fairly badly at a party. She is confused by the fact that despite the injury, she didn't really feel any pain and it's not long before she begins experimenting with her body and pain tolerance; eventually becoming unable to refrain from slicing herself open.

The film is very different to the average mainstream horror and will not be well received in all circles. However, this certainly is a fascinating journey into a woman's 'discovery of herself' (for lack of a better term). The film does lack a defining point and becomes a voyeuristic look into what can only be described as the central character's disease. The film must then rely on its central character and set pieces, and the writer/director/lead actress definitely does deliver in this area. The film is not short on blood, but it's all used well and never feels gratuitous. The real power of the film comes from depicting the character's experiments on herself; I can generally stomach any amount of disgusting gore, but seeing the character here slice herself open had me squirming and that is testament both to the way we are made to care for the character and the very realistic way that the film is portrayed. The film is carried by the lead actress who is always the star despite some good supporting performances. Marina de Van can certainly be very proud of her work on this one! The appeal of this film can only go so far, but personally I loved it and will not hesitate to recommend that everyone at least gives it a look!

Well that was a complete waste of 2 hours!

[pinkeye · 2/10 · 26 October 2003]

I heard about this film while at the NY Horror film festival where the audience was told they HAD to see this intense & brutal movie…and I read some reviews that called it amazing and gripping…LIES! I recently became a fan of Gasper Noe's `Irreversible' and that was an amazing, brutal and brilliant piece of filmmaking, so this also being a French film I thought it might live up to the hype. Well, don't waste your time…this was perhaps the most boring film I have seen in years…It was boring, then briefly brutal then boring again…it tries to be artistic but it's really just autistic…it's not a daring brave piece of filmmaking because it truly makes no sense…I tried very hard to find either the reason for the woman's actions or the hidden meaning in them…NOTHING! Someone had a very good idea and executed in a terrible, boring, artsy, unjustified way.

Too heavy for words

[cecilparks · 8/10 · 29 July 2003]

Saw this at a cult film festival. You'd think a cult audience would be able to stomach depictions of self-inflicted violence, but several people walked out. I can't really blame them. It is an intimate and plausible portrait of a woman who has lived her life on autopilot until she finally finds a way to feel alive and beautiful: by mutilating herself. She seems painfully aware that her friends and coworkers won't get it, understandably, and that once she takes that path, there is only one way out.

Devastating.

SPOILER -- With Good Reason

[coolelle · 1/10 · 27 August 2006]

SPOILER This film, while fascinating and beautifully made, seems little more than a glorification of self-mutilation. Other users have called it self-love or masturbation, and they mean it in a positive way. But inflicting pain on oneself, mutilating oneself, is not self-love. Masturbation is a wonderful way of making your body feel good. Cutting off pieces of your own flesh and eating them doesn't make your body feel good and shouldn't be glorified or reviewed positively.

So if I've spoiled the movie for you, I must say I'm glad. You don't need to watch this film. You need to do something good for yourself and for your body and leave this movie on the shelf.

A Graphic Exploration of Addiction and Raw Human Desire

[Rapeman13 · 8 March 2008]

Marina de Van wrote, directed and starred in this, her feature film debut, which is a graphic exploration of addiction and raw human desire.

At a work-related party, ambitious businesswoman, Esther (de Van) trips on some metal in the backyard and tears a gaping wound in her leg. At first she doesn't notice, but as the night wears on she glimpses her own bloody footprints on the carpet and eventually though rather reluctantly, goes to the hospital to get herself stitched up.

Over the next few days she begins to pick at the wound and gouge new ones as things such as her demanding job, and over-protective boyfriend begin to stress her out; she finds that this practice relaxes her. Due to her work and worried loved ones, Esther tries to hide her self-harm and even goes so far as to fake a car crash to explain the lacerations on her arms. As the days and weeks progress, she begins to lose control and at one stage mutilates herself under the table at a dinner function whilst hallucinating. As her addiction reaches its peak she holes up in a hotel room and greedily cannibalizes herself while documenting her disfiguration with polaroids and saving chunks of her own skin to dry out like animal hide and stash in the safety of her purse for later.

In My Skin portrays a woman in the depths of an obsession very few (if any) of us can understand; she begins to lose her sense of feeling, both emotionally and physically, and to compensate for it she begins to fetishize her body by exploring it in the most visceral way possible: by revelling in her own flesh & blood, tearing and eating her skin and wallowing wildly in her blood. It seems Esther's addiction to excessive self-mutilation began as a coping mechanism, but soon transformed into an act of narcissism taken to the extreme. When we see her caressing her opened up body, and erotically nibbling at her limbs, she is the ultimate egomaniac lost inside herself.

At times the film can get quite graphic, especially in the last fifteen minutes when Esther is letting loose on herself in the hotel room: tearing chunks of flesh off with her teeth; cutting her face up with a kitchen knife, and further going to work on her leg. Yet some of the most teeth-gritting scenes for me were in the beginning of the film when she first cuts her leg up then opens the wound up further. The sound & gore effects are top-notch and make for some tense squirmin'-in-yer-seat moments.

In My Skin is another great piece of modern French film-making that's right up there with the best of Catherine Breillat and Gaspar Noé's work. Also recommended for fans of those other self-mutilation-themed films: Naked Blood and Cutting Moments

Very Bad movie

[germainriviere · 2/10 · 26 March 2020]

Unbearable film. If the original idea is good, the main actress sucks and completely ruins the film. Badly filmed, no end. A film of cannibals to avoid!

Pain Tolerance on a whole other level.

[ElijahCSkuggs · 8/10 · 3 September 2008]

In this french psychological horror flick you have a woman who's seriously losing touch with the real world. The real world in a common sense way of thinking is a place where a person would never want to eat them-self. Well, in our leading lady's world, this is the case.

In My Skin is really a bizarre flick. It's not overly gross, it's not gory, it's not offensive, but I'll be damned if this flick didn't make me feel weird while watching it. It's incredibly intimate with it's portrayal of a really messed up situation. There were many instances where I'd feel uncomfortable, and that rarely happens to me.

I always thought I was kinda weird (I was told that it's weird) when I would pick a scab off and eat it. But this takes that to a whole new level, and I can kinda see where my friends were coming from when they were telling me that what I was doing was messed up. I didn't stop, and who knows if our French character will either.

Give this flick a shot if you're into unique film-making. But if you're slightly queasy about graphic bloody injuries, I'd say pass. But you'd be missing out, since this is one portrayal of a personality that's quite unique.