In Skincare, director Austin Peters brings a sharp eye and steady hand to a world that’s often dismissed as superficial: the beauty industry. But don’t let the glitzy surface fool you – this film is a tense, pointed thriller that peels back the layers of vanity to reveal the anxiety and cutthroat ambition lurking just beneath the surface.

 

Elizabeth Banks stars as Hope Goldman, a veteran Hollywood aesthetician on the verge of launching her own exclusive skincare line. But the road to success in a city obsessed with perfection is anything but smooth. Just when she’s about to unveil her products on a popular TV show, Hope’s life is thrown into chaos by a scandalous email, purportedly sent by her, that torpedoes her reputation. What follows is a spiral of paranoia, betrayal, and desperation as Hope tries to salvage both her reputation and her crumbling dreams.

 

Banks is dynamite in the role, delivering a performance that’s as magnetic as it is vulnerable. She deftly navigates Hope’s complexity as a woman who’s both a product and a casualty of the image-obsessed world she inhabits. Banks captures every nuance, making Hope’s unraveling both heart-wrenching and believable. It’s a showcase role, and Banks rises to the occasion and anchors the film.

 

Lewis Pullman and Luis Gerardo Méndez provide strong support as Jordan, a slick life coach with his own agenda, and Angel, a rival skincare guru who might just be the puppet master behind Hope’s misfortunes. The dynamic between these characters adds to the film’s tension, with every interaction crackling with mistrust.

 

Peters’ direction is lean and assured, keeping the film’s brisk 90-minute runtime packed with suspense. The cinematography is sumptuous, making even the most mundane settings feel loaded with significance. Every shot is carefully crafted and staged, underscoring the high stakes in Hope’s world.

 

Part thriller and part social commentary, Skincare doesn’t break new ground, but it’s an engrossing ride that sticks with you after the credits roll. Peters, who also cowrote the movie, delivers a sharp critique of our obsession with appearance and spins it into a gripping narrative. In the end, Skincare proves that in the pursuit of perfection, the real danger lies just beneath the surface.