Scarlett Johansson’s R-Rated Sci-Fi Cult Classic Finally Lands on Netflix

written by Craig Ellison

April 24, 2026 4:33 pm

Scarlett Johansson’s R-Rated Sci-Fi Cult Classic Finally Lands on Netflix — Image credit: Legion-Media

Scarlett Johansson’s haunting 2013 sci-fi thriller Under the Skin lands on Netflix May 1, following a mysterious young woman who prowls for lonely men and lures them to a desolate lair with an otherworldly agenda.

Okay, here’s a heads-up for anyone who digs gorgeous, deeply weird sci-fi — or just likes watching Scarlett Johansson drive around and freak out Scottish dudes. Under the Skin, that hypnotic, genre-bending alien thriller from 2013, is headed to Netflix. And yes, that’s the one where Johansson lures confused men into pitch-black goo. The movie earned its cult reputation for a reason, and now it’ll be way easier to see why.

When and Where

Mark your calendars (or just wait for Netflix to throw it in front of you): Under the Skin starts streaming Friday, May 1, 2026. Yeah, it's a while off, but the film basically took a decade to make, so what's a couple more years?

The Story (Spoiler: Johansson Eats People, Kinda)

Here's the gist: Scarlett Johansson plays a literal 'Female' — that's her character's entire name — who cruises around rainy Glasgow in a nondescript van, luring lonely guys to their doom. She’s not just a femme fatale, though; she’s some kind of alien, and what happens to these dudes involves a surreal black void and their skin getting left behind. After a run-in with a man whose appearance doesn’t fit the standard victim mold, she starts rethinking her whole mission.

The Weird Backstory (and an Even Weirder Shoot)

OG Source: Based on a 2000 novel by Michel Faber.
Director: Jonathan Glazer, who made Sexy Beast first, didn’t even start working on Under the Skin until 2004. It took him about ten years to finally get it made — Hollywood is fast… said no one ever.
Script: Glazer co-wrote the screenplay with Walter Campbell.
US Release: April 4, 2014, from A24 — one of their early ventures into movies that make you go, ‘What the hell did I just watch?’
Budget & Box Office: About $13.3 million to make, but it bombed with just $7.5 million worldwide. Chalk that up to arthouse sci-fi being a tough sell if you’re not, say, Christopher Nolan.
Critical Response: Critics loved it (83% on Rotten Tomatoes); audiences, less so (55% 'Popcorn' score), which feels about right for a movie this uncompromising.
Awards Buzz: Despite the flop status, it racked up nominations at big stuff like the BAFTAs and British Independent Film Awards. Give it time — every cult film’s got to start somewhere.

Casting Curveballs

Weird fact: before Scarlett Johansson got cast, the studio was toying with actors like Eva Green, January Jones, Abbie Cornish, and Olivia Wilde. In the end, Glazer wanted someone super recognizable in a setting you'd never expect. He even said:

'It made a great deal of sense to cast somebody very well known out of context. I remember seeing her walking along the street in a pink jumper on a long lens, and she looks like an exotic insect on the wrong continent.'

Who Else Is in This Thing?

Other names in the credits: Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, Dougie McConnell, Adam Pearson (an amazing performance, by the way), Kevin McAlinden, and D. Meade. Most of the supporting cast were non-actors — a big part of why the movie feels as strange (and occasionally awkward) as it does.

Bottom Line

Under the Skin is strange, mesmerizing, uncompromising, and, yeah, pretentious — but in a good way. If you missed it in theaters, now’s your chance to experience Johansson at her most alien and a director at his most fearless. Bring snacks (but maybe skip the black jelly).