“The Frankensteinish plot may be a departure for him, but THE SKIN I LIVE In has all of Pedro Almodóvar trademark kitsch, over-the-top melodrama and recurring questions about sexual identity and voyeurism.” - Radheyan Simonpillai, NOW Toronto
“THE SKIN I LIVE IN is rooted in pain and loss, which pulls the film's more melodramatic side into a more thoughtful, provocative place than its surface suggests.” - Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Tuesday, July 8, 6:00 p.m. & Saturday, July 12, 8:15 p.m. | Pedro Almodóvar’s self-described “horror story without screams or frights” is a commentary on control, with a shocking twist that has inspired countless essays regarding what Almodóvar is saying about gender and identity. Reminiscent of Georges Franju’s EYES WITHOUT A FACE, THE SKIN I LIVE IN stars Antonio Banderas as a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein: the gifted but disturbed plastic surgeon Dr. Ledgard, who performs procedures on Vera, a woman he holds captive in his mansion. As the film unfolds, grief, obsession, and trauma collide into an explosive climax that will, as film critic and host of the podcast Horror Queers Joe Lipsett explains, “require audiences to constantly shift their point of identification as new information comes to light.” Content consideration: includes scenes and themes of sexual assault.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best International Film, Saturn Award, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Winner - Best Film Not in the English Language, BAFTA Awards
Nominee - Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Queer Palme, Cannes Film Festival
Spoiler Alert | July 4–29, 2025
Zip your lips, hold your tongues, and keep it to yourself: you are entering a spoiler-free zone! The eight films of Spoiler Alert include twists, turns, and jaw-dropping conclusions, and the secrecy makes their reveals all the more satisfying. Some of you might try to guess the endings (beware of red herrings, false leads, and smokescreens!); others will relish the uncertainty. Either way, there’s nothing quite like the moment when everyone in the movie theater experiences the “aha!” together. No spoiler here; it’s the best.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu