'Skincare' Review
“Skincare” is set in Los Angeles in 2013 and stars Elizabeth Banks as longtime esthetician Hope Goldman — a very interesting character. One of my favorite aspects of the film is the introduction of how we get to know Hope. She’s a dynamic, multi-layered woman who’s about to finally launch her own skincare line. One of the key elements of director Austin Peters’ dramatic thriller is communication: how Hope reaches out to her customers, colleagues and friends, through phone calls, email blasts, text messages, TV appearances and social media.
This movie is inspired by real events surrounding a true story (although somehow Banks claims she didn’t know the true story going into the making of “Skincare”). A saga unfolds. Hope’s life and career are threatened as competition from across the street and envy begin to take over. The rivalry gets pretty intense. Anything that can go wrong does.
Early on, “Skincare” has the vibe of 2022’s “Emily the Criminal” — another edgy crime mystery with an intriguing woman at the center. But that film, which starred Aubrey Plaza (who delivered a career-best performance), was captivating the entire way through. “Skincare” loses some steam about halfway in. It’s not quite as fun or enjoyable or unique in the second half. You question a bunch of decisions the characters make.
The biggest compliment I can give is to Banks, who puts more care into the role of Hope Goldman than her directorial decisions for last year’s disappointing “Cocaine Bear” — a comedy with such potential, especially with its one a one of a kind premise, that has very little intelligence. Wendie Malick appears on-camera in one scene as one of Hope’s regular customers, and we hear a couple of her voicemails.
“Skincare” certainly isn’t terrible, but I wish it was more of an enthralling experience.
