After premiering at film festivals across the world, Skincare – starring Elizabeth Banks – is coming to small screens, and it's not one to to be missed. The movie follows the story of a famous aesthetician who is targeted by what could be a rival skincare line, but seems to be much a more sinister force of nature.
It's been described as a “delightfully bonkers thriller”, but some pretty serious themes are at play in Skincare as well. Elizabeth's protagonist Hope is hacked, and becomes the victim of abusive messages and deepfake images, when she finds that images of herself have been photoshopped onto a sexual online advert. The film explores a prevalent issue for many victims of deepfakes made with AI technology, as well as the ongoing fight against so-called ‘revenge porn’ and intimate image-based abuse.
This story, and the abuse it portrays, is close to the heart of one of GLAMOUR's biggest missions. This year, GLAMOUR has partnered with the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Not Your Porn, and Clare McGlynn, Professor of Law at Durham University to demand that the government introduces a dedicated, comprehensive Image-Based Abuse law to protect women and girls. We're excited that these issues will be represented on screen, in the hopes that audiences will become even more aware of these issues.
Here's everything we know so far about Skincare.
Skincare plot
The movie's plot synopsis reads as follows: “Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skin care line. However, she soon faces a new challenge when a rival opens a boutique directly across from her store.
"Suspecting that someone is trying to sabotage her, she embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery of who's trying to destroy her life.”
“I'm the one who has put myself in the firing line, and it's not easy.”
We also know that Skincare will touch on cancel culture, looking at the backlash Hope encounters after she is hacked – how it impacts her professional relationship with clients and her personal connections to friends. It promises to look at the intersection between cancel culture and misogyny, looking at the impact of such harassment on a woman's psyche and public profile.
The film is also loosely based on a real-life story – the case of celebrity facialist Dawn DaLuise, who was arrested and later acquitted for a murder-for-hire plot against a rival beauty guru.
Skincare cast
Joining Elizabeth Banks on the cast will be Lewis Pullman, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Nathan Fillion.
Skincare release date
Skincare is available on digital release from 11 November.
Skincare trailer
Watch the rollercoaster of a trailer here. It's touching on what it means to be a “Girl Boss” and the misogyny that comes with that, and working in the beauty industry.
