What would it take to change your life? A couple dealing with their own frustrations participate in a unique ritual. The strange opportunity may seem like their perfect escape, but it soon becomes a nightmare. Alex Schaad’s “Skin Deep” explores how we perceive others while showing the limits to reinvention. The filmmaker’s student films received praise, with “Invention of Trust” winning both a Max Ophüls Prize and a Student Oscar.
The film’s official synopsis:
Seeking a retreat where they can salvage their struggling relationship, young couple Leyla (Mala Emde) and Tristan (Jonas Dassler) travel to a remote island at the invitation of Leyla’s childhood friend Stella, where it soon becomes clear that what the island offers is more mysterious than a simple vacation. Leyla and Tristan join another couple in a ritual to exchange bodies and see the world through the eyes of someone else – a chance to find themselves or, for some of them, a chance at escape. Free from the constraints of her former body, Leyla quickly finds she has never been happier, with a fresh outlook on life and a new sense of release and fulfillment. But when she refuses to return to her old self, the situation threatens to spiral out of control. Subverting genre and gender as it toggles from body swap thriller to intimate relationship drama, SKIN DEEP tells a story that transcends bodies, embracing the endless fluid possibilities in the question of what it means to truly love someone.
A new life could destroy everything in “Skin Deep.” The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. It will open on February 2 in New York and February 9 in Los Angeles via Kino Lorber. Watch the new trailer below.