Nice of you to drop in again! This week we are adding our second ingredient to our Review Stew for the year. I am currently on a free trial of the streaming service Sundance Now which is where I found this week’s film…Skincare (2024).
Title: Skincare
Director: Austin Peters
Released: August 16, 2024 (United States)
Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
Available to stream on: Sundance Now
Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is a renowned aesthetician who runs her own successful studio in Los Angeles. She is on the verge of launching her own line of skincare products and has taped a segment with the local news to hype up the launch.
While at her studio one day, Hope learns that the empty business across the way from her is going to be occupied by another skincare studio. The owner of the new studio, Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez), rubs Hope the wrong way from the jump when he astutely points out that she has parked in one of the spots designated for his studio.
When it comes time for Hope’s segment to air on local television…it never happens. Instead, what airs is a profile piece for Angel and his new studio. This leads to some of Hope’s clients starting to go to Angel’s studio rather than hers. As if all of that wasn’t enough to deal with, someone hacked Hope’s email account and sent out a very provocative email to all of her clients and contacts.
With the launch of her product line just days away, Hope is trying to just keep it together. Although, keeping it together while attempting to do damage control to save her image, keep her landlord off her back about rent, and figure out who is behind the smear campaign against her is proving to be quite the task.
I noticed Skincare (2024) was available to rent and it caught my eye both for the poster and it starring Elizabeth Banks. No matter what she pops up in, she always manages to understand the assignment and deliver. In this instance, I don’t think the film, as a whole, works as well if it’s anyone else playing Hope Goldman.
Usually when we see Elizabeth Banks in a role, she’s super upbeat and chipper. She manages to bring a sort of uplifting radiance to her performances. This gels perfectly with the character of Hope who is falling apart at the seams. Faced with losing it all and realizing that her life is/was indistinguishable from her work, Hope still is able to keep it together and present a face of someone who has the world in the palm of her hand. While Banks shines and elevates the entire film, Lewis Pullman, as Jordan, also delivers in a supporting role as an overeager life-coach.
The story itself is rather predictable. You’re able to pick up on where things are going pretty early on. However, despite a cheerful facade being put on to the rest of the world, the journey through the darkness that is the reality of the situation is what keeps you engaged throughout.
While I wouldn’t recommend dropping everything to rush out and see it, Skincare (2024) is most definitely deserving of at least one viewing.
Well, now it’s your turn. Have you seen Skincare (2024)?
If so, I want to hear your thoughts on it. You can leave a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky!
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