Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense family drama about race, identity during apartheid.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Skin
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
A white family in 1950s South Africa, unfamiliar with their own mixed-race ancestry, is shocked when their dark-complexioned daughter is "re-classified" as a black person at a time when apartheid was the law, only to have that decision reversed once more. But as a teenager, Sandra (Sophie Okonedo) grows tired of the bigotry and challenges the system once more when she falls for, and elopes with, a black man. Much to her dismay, her father (Sam Neill), who harbors prejudices of his own, reports them to the police, who arrest them. Finding herself at a juncture, Sandra makes a decision that estranges her from her family. But her fight to define herself beyond the color of her skin, whether considered black or white, continues long after.
Is It Any Good?
If a film's ability to perturb audiences is an indication of how good it is, then SKIN is superb, indeed. It's told with alarming straightforwardness, which only serves to heighten the horror of the bigotry that unfolds onscreen. But what makes it even better is how it anchors the politics and history with human emotions, allowing viewers to feel just what it's like to walk in Sandra's shoes -- how enraging it must have been to be discriminated against; how confusing it must have been to discover that the those who have always protected you, your parents, can harbor such tragically limited ideas about race; and how isolating it must be to hear the man you love condemn a group of people with whom you also identify, and worse.
The film does have its problems, including slack pacing and uninspired storytelling that sometimes robs it of suspense and drama. But neither one is critical enough to scar.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about apartheid. What do you think about this policy of institutionalized racism? How does it compare to periods of U.S. history?
How does Sandra's story illustrate the complicated definition of race? What kinds of questions does her story bring up?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 30, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : February 1, 2011
- Cast : Alice Krige , Sam Neill , Sophie Okonedo
- Director : Anthony Fabian
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Entertainment One
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material, some violence and sexuality
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 12, 2024
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