Kino Lorber debuted the official trailer for Skin Deep, the award winning sci fi drama film starring Mala Emde and Jonas Dassler. Also starring in the film are Dimitrij Schaad, Edgar Selge, Maryam Zaree and Thomas Wodianka

Release Date

Directed by Student Oscar winner Alex Schaad, making his feature film debut, Skin Deep premiered at Venice Film Festival where it won the Queer Lion; and opens in theaters on February 2, 2024 in New York at Quad Cinema, then February 9, 2024 in Los Angeles at Laemmle Noho.

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.

Reviews

Grading the film 3 1/2 of 5 stars in their review, International Cinephile Society wrote, “A bewildering start to a bewildering film, Skin Deep, the intriguing and thought-provoking debut by German director Alex Schaad, doesn’t waste time getting the viewer caught in its maelstrom of ideas and confusion. A very inventive look at identity, in particular gender identity, Skin Deep has a lot of ideas that do not completely congeal into a cohesive statement, leaving the audience thinking about its concept (perhaps that was the idea) as much as its characters. I don’t generally recommend that people bring a notebook to a screening, but for Skin Deep it might just be necessary to keep track of who is who, the helpful title cards be damned.”

Official Trailer

Watch the official trailer for Skin Deep