Skincare
IFC Films | Release Date: August 16, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonAug 14, 2024
The genius of “Skincare” is how it uses Los Angeles and its image- and celebrity-driven culture as a metaphor for empty lives. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithAug 15, 2024
The tone is dry farce that never strays into camp, with a mildly sardonic appreciation of oddballs recalling such Robert Altman films as “The Long Goodbye.” A creepily discordant musical score by Fatima Al Qadiri adds immensely to the feeling that everyone is hiding something and no good will come of it. Read full review
77
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiAug 15, 2024
Austin Peters’ Skincare knows exactly what it’s doing, balancing a sense of total desperation with just enough camp to convey its nightmarish situations without ruining your day. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperAug 16, 2024
Skincare is like a quick trip to the local spa. It’s not going to change your life, but it provides instant gratification and helps you escape for an hour and a half. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comTomris LafflyAug 16, 2024
The film’s greatest asset, along with a sun-dappled cinematography, Banks is certainly game for every shade of Hope in her journey of poor decisions, escalated by bad luck and an eerie city that couldn’t care less about who falls down or survives the elements unscratched. In that, “Skincare” nails a routine well worth investing in. Read full review
70
Film ThreatMichael Talbot-HaynesAug 30, 2024
Skincare is the perfect vehicle for Banks’s style, the cinematic equivalent of a Barbie-mobile with 60s Cadillac fins. The audience gets to ride shotgun as she speeds through the flashy, splashy visuals to get to the long tunnels of persecution. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshAug 19, 2024
Banks’ and Pullman’s deliveries of these tragicomic characters elevate what could have been merely a genre exercise into something more fascinating and satirical. Read full review
70
IGNLena WilsonAug 15, 2024
Though Skincare’s script lacks bite or balance, Elizabeth Banks gives a riveting lead performance with assistance from Lewis Pullman as her sketchy sidekick. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredMarco Vito OddoAug 14, 2024
In Skincare, Elizabeth Banks leads a tense, socially conscious thriller that cleverly blends suspense and social commentary to create an engaging, if uneven, experience. Read full review
63
ObserverLaura BabiakAug 14, 2024
Fortunately, despite its stranger-than-fiction premise, this thriller does have a handful of interesting ideas outside of the realm of true crime. Unfortunately, it also all but abandons those ideas in its messy third act, making for a mixed bag of a movie. Read full review
61
Paste MagazineNatalia KeoganAug 15, 2024
Disappointing but not outright disastrous, Skincare never penetrates past superficial observations of how beauty, success and artificiality constantly commingle among the Los Angeles elite. Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinNov 7, 2024
Skincare is a worthy contribution to the growing microgenre of female-led beauty-themed horror, and some of us out here are ready for more. Read full review
60
ABC NewsPeter TraversAug 23, 2024
Beauty can be an ugly business so it’s too bad this tense, fitfully funny satire about vanity scammers only goes skin deep. But it’s all flowers for Elizabeth Banks who is sheer bonkers perfection as a cosmetics control freak losing control. Read full review
60
Screen RantMary KasselAug 22, 2024
The overarching problem is the film's tendency to be a touch too shallow, even if that's the point of the narrative. Finding out more about Hope's hidden past, the supporting characters, and the big lives everyone hints at would have made the story more compelling and helped the characters feel real. Read full review
58
IndieWireAlison ForemanAug 15, 2024
How we look from the outside versus how we are on the inside doesn’t always lineup, and that disparity can shake the visions we have of ourselves. The metaphor extends to “Skincare” itself as a film that looks bright on its face but ends up dull despite its best efforts and self-care. Read full review
50
VarietyCourtney HowardAug 16, 2024
While it’s expected that creative liberties will be taken, especially given its roots as a tabloid-style news story, it’s surprising that the filmmakers chose to leave out details that would have enhanced their portrayal. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliAug 15, 2024
Skincare feels like it wants to be a screwball caper movie but the comedy gets lost along the way. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubBrianna ZiglerAug 15, 2024
It’s a film about the costs of selling your own superficiality to the world only ends up just as superficial. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 16, 2024
Skincare sets us up for something dark and scintillating, a sinister descent into desperation. But it’s as frustrating as a fresh wedding day zit, and sadly, about as inconsequential. Read full review
30
ColliderTaylor GatesAug 14, 2024
The characters somehow behave both flatly and erratically, driving a cliché plot that manages to be both overly simplistic and confusing. Take care of your skin — and sanity — by sitting this one out. Read full review
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