SKINCARE

(director/writer: Austin Peters; screenwriters: Sam Freilich, Deering Regan, based on the story of Dawn DaLuise; cinematographer: Christopher Ripley; editor: Laura Zempel; music: Fatima Al Qadiri; cast: Elizabeth Banks (Hope Goldman), Luis Gerardo Mendez (Angel Vegara), Lewis Pullman (Jordan), Nathan Fillion (Brett Wright), Michaela Rodriguez (Marine), Wendy Malick (Colleen); Runtime: 94; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Logan Lerman, Jonathan Schwartz; IFC Films; 2024-Italy/USA-in English)

“Elizabeth Banks delivers a compelling performance.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

An odd dark comedy/thriller about the facial beauty business turning violent. It’s directed by Austin Peters (“Give Me Future”), and he co-writes it with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan. It’s based on the story of Dawn DaLuise, a celebrity facialist who was arrested in 2014 for attempting to hire a hitman to kill a business rival.

Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) successfully runs a Los Angeles salon (specializing in skincare treatments), where she’s a makeup sales rep.

Hope is stressed-out now that she’s bringing out a new line of imported products and needs more cash for the venture. She’s also threatened that her pretentious rival, Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez), opens a salon next door.

Soon afterwards, her emails are hacked and all her clients receive nasty sexual messages. She assumes that it’s the work of Angel trying to ruin her reputation. She thereby gets help from a secretive friend, a self-described life coach, Jordan (Lewis Pullman), to make sure her territory is not violated. But as her rival’s success grows, the more deflated and crazier she becomes, and the more willing she is to act violently against her rival.

The third act, which spirals wildly out of control, is about how irrational Hope becomes.

Elizabeth Banks delivers a compelling performance, in an uneven character-driven story that at times is unsure whether to shoot for laughs or scares. Its superficial satire of a vain and toxic Hollywood culture might not have made me feel sated but at least I didn’t feel ripped-off.  

REVIEWED ON 8/20/2024  GRADE: B
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