Alex Schaad’s function debut “Pores and skin Deep” is a stripped-down sci-fi drama that takes its time to discover the social and romantic ramifications of its easy premise. Physique swapping motion pictures are usually about giving the protagonist(s) a unique perspective, providing them the prospect to develop within the course of. In “Freaky Friday,” a mom and daughter swap our bodies to indicate the challenges every of them face at that age. “Heaven Can Wait” offers an ex-football star a brand new lease on life with newfound appreciation. The anime “Your Title” maybe will get closest to the idea of “Pores and skin Deep” when two highschool college students who’ve by no means met start to physique swap and resolve to behave on their newfound connection by assembly one another in individual. In “Pores and skin Deep,” the method provides Leyla an opportunity to really feel one thing completely different, and in essence, renew her sense of self and her relationship with Tristen—if solely he can settle for her new kind.
Co-written by Schaad and his brother Dimitrij, “Pores and skin Deep” takes a number of cues from Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster,” however with a somber tone, actually digging into the unintended penalties of the process. By the luck of the draw, Tristen and Leyla swap with one other troubled couple, Fabienne (Maryam Zaree) and Mo (Dimitrij Schaad), who make Tristen so uncomfortable, he aborts the physique swap earlier than speaking with Leyla, which devastates her. This in flip leads Leyla to swap with one other man on the island whereas Tristen stays the identical, citing different uncomfortable emotions and dialog. For Leyla, it is a type of liberation, for Tristen, it turns into the query of whether or not he nonetheless loves Leyla in any kind she takes on. “Think about how related a pair should be if every one really understands how the opposite one feels,” Leyla tells Tristen, each marveling at one other couple’s connection and wishing it was hers as effectively.
I adopted Schaad’s movie and the highs and lows of Leyla’s quest to search out her new self, however one element felt much less thoughtfully thought-about than the remainder of the narrative. The person who provides to swap our bodies with Leyla, Roman (Thomas Wodianka), is grieving the lack of his associate and agrees to assist her so at the very least considered one of them might be blissful. The brand new physique reignites all the fun and passions inside her that had laid dormant, however when it comes time to physique swap and go away the island, Leyla doesn’t need to, citing moral dilemmas of physique swapping with somebody who may not be prepared for its results or maintaining one other’s physique with out consent that’s by no means fairly addressed. The problem is handled rapidly, but it surely feels so rushed compared to all the things earlier than it.