Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bullying, strong language in cautionary L.A. crime thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Skincare
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Based on events that really happened to Hollywood esthetician Dawn DaLuisa in 2013, SKINCARE centers on Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks), an esthetician to the stars who's about to realize her dream: launching her own line of beauty products. When her email is hacked and her reputation suffers, she suspects rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez), who opened a skincare boutique directly across from Hope's shop. As the attacks on Hope ramp up and put her in personal peril, she takes action to control the situation and calm the negative attention so she can launch her line with success.
Is It Any Good?
The filmmaking in this staggering L.A. story is as flawed as its characters; it's an entrancing story, but it leaves you feeling icky. Skincare is a whodunit in which audiences will likely figure out the who before the character "dun it." The movie's premise and the events it's based on are riveting and worth learning about as a study of human behavior. And it's interesting to explore what happens when two people are determined to control a situation and that situation then spins out of control. But there's a nagging issue: The young male director and writers don't seem to like their complex female main character, and they certainly don't understand her. The result is a hazy suggestion of victim blaming.
Hope is being sexually targeted and endangered in a high-profile way, but the story ignores the feelings of degradation and humiliation this would likely lead to. And when dangerous men show up at Hope's workplace to fulfill the "rape fantasy" that's been posted in personal ads, she's alarmed—but the true terror a woman would almost certainly feel in this vulnerable circumstance is significantly underplayed. As directed by Austin Peters, Banks' Hope sees these scenarios more as a threat to her business and product launch, not as a threat to her safety. Not only does that not ring true, but it's actually reckless to present it to audiences this way, especially since movies have a history of occasionally inspiring copycats. Yes, DaLuisa's real story is a bit cloudy, but no one deserves what happened to her in 2013—or to be victimized now.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Skincare's theme of control and how it applies to real life. How do Hope and Jordan make decisions to take control of their success, and how does that then spin both their lives out of control? Whose lives are upended in the wake of their efforts?
Look up the real story of Dawn DaLuisa (there's a great article in LA magazine from 2015). How does it compare to the movie? Why do filmmakers sometimes change the facts in movies based on true stories?
The filmmakers describe this film as "sunshine noir," showing the grittiness of the kind of people you might find in the bright daylight of Los Angeles. What are the typical components of noir films?
Walk through the steps of how the perpetrator is able to access Hope's computer—and trust. What will you take away from this to protect yourself?
Is smoking or drug use glamorized here? What are those behaviors meant to tell us about the characters?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 16, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : September 3, 2024
- Cast : Elizabeth Banks , Mj Rodriguez , Lewis Pullman
- Director : Austin Peters
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some violence and brief drug use
- Last updated : September 3, 2024
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