Movie Review | 'Skincare' 

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Austin Peters's "Skincare" plays like a movie designed for its star first and concerned about its story second. Co-written by Peters, Sam Freilich and Deering Regan, the film opens with a variation of those famous words seen many times before: This is a fictional story inspired by true events.

That opening title card gives the movie liberty to go big with a mildly established framework. The movie's inspiration is Dawn Daluise, a once-famous aesthetician whose real life was made for the movie treatment. In "Skincare," the 'Dawn' character is Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks), an aesthetician always on the verge of making it to the next level. She's well-known, books TV appearances and relies on a steady stream of regular customers to keep her business afloat.

What's most interesting about Banks's portrayal of Hope is how she manages the performance-within-the-performance. Hope's daily life is fueled by ego and anticipation, just waiting for her handcrafted moisturizer to make her business soar. She's constantly dressed in the nicest clothes and carries herself with an unchecked amount of confidence, but the reality is that she struggles behind closed doors; her landlord is always knocking for rent.

On her way to work one morning, Hope begins receiving an influx of messages about a desperate, somewhat graphic email that went out to her entire client list about her situation. After confirming with her friend and receptionist Marine (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez) that this email did not come from Hope, they frantically begin trying to figure out who is the source of the intended sabotage. Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez), her business competition across the way from her store, becomes Hope's prime suspect.


At a mere 97 minutes, Peters moves "Skincare" with finesse and ease, but the movie buckles under the pressure of resting on Banks's shoulders. While her performance is often called upon to be reactionary with her signature breathy delivery, Banks's performance is stronger than the page may offer. Hope brings friends into her stressful situation — amateur life coach Jordan (Lewis Pullman), mechanic Armen (Erik Palladino) — which only makes the web more tangled, but Banks is able to mine the paranoia and frustration, which elevates her performance.

Given the glitz and glamour of the subject matter, "Skincare" is made with a predictably glossy Los Angeles sheen, but underneath the surface it feels a bit empty (the aesthetic makes it less surprising to learn Peters is usually a music video director). The screenplay is a predictable set of story beats which take Hope through the motions one would expect. Think of it as “Uncut Gems” — slathered in homemade moisturizer.

As tension is supposed to be mounting, predictability begins to deflate the movie. Banks brings her comedic flair to the role, along with a heavy dose of drama, but she is forced to work hard for a thin screenplay that doesn't support her talent.

"Skincare" opens at The Little Theatre on Friday, August 16. Tickets and showtimes here.

Matt Passantino is a contributor to CITY.