A ripped-from-the-headlines redemption tale whose earnest intentions largely outweigh its sometimes-clumsy execution, “Skin” is a tough watch in more ways than one. The story of a white supremacist’s emergence from a life rooted in hate and violence, the film has a lot to say, not just about the ways people hide under the blanket of prejudice but the toxic influence of hate-peddlers: who hunt the vulnerable like a spider stalks a fly.
When the audience meets Bryon (Jamie Bell), he’s leading a marching group of Vinlanders, whose chants of “blood and soil” paint them as Neo-Nazis in everything but name. A clash with counter-protestors leads to Bryon’s arrest, though his hardened attitude and legal support circle keep him out of any real trouble (he’s released almost immediately). Covered in tattoos literally from head to toe, but with a day job and heightened social awareness, Bryon seems the model of modern 21st-century white supremacy.
Small hints start to emerge that paint Bryon as at least partially conflicted, however, for while the Vinlanders are very much his family, their violent methods and behavior clearly bother him. Part of this stems from his obvious intelligence, and his understanding of the manipulation that occurs when young, vulnerable kids are lured into the fold by his surrogate father and Vinlander “club” president, Fred (Bill Camp). No one is born prejudiced, after all, and one of the movie’s greatest strengths is its portrayal of the seductive nature of hate, and how, ironically, it can be weaponized via kindness.
When Bryon meets a single mother of three, Julie (Danielle Macdonald), who has already begun to transition out of the hate group life, he’s thrown a lifeline. As “Skin” progresses, Bryon works through his conflicted emotions pitting his love and loyalty to the Vinlanders against the shot at redemption offered by Julie and her kids. As Bryon watches his two worlds collide, one defined by violence, and the other in staunch opposition to it, he is forced to reevaluate what’s important to him, and what awaits him down these two different paths.
Most audiences won’t recognize Bell behind his spot-on American accent and face tattoos. It would have been easy to overplay this role, heightening the wild-eyed madness of a foaming-at-the-mouth racist, but Bell wisely undersells this aspect of his performance, opting instead to play up the conflicted nature of Bryon. Real, lasting change doesn’t happen overnight, after all, so what works in the film vis-à-vis the character growth and redemption arc done so due to the choices Bell makes as the lead.
Camp is just as effective in the Frank role, whose paternal impulses are shown to pivot hard and fast into emotional and physical abuse. Frank is the bad-cop to his wife Shareen’s (Vera Farmiga) good-cop, for she’s just as effective with recruiting in her offerings of hot food, joints, or just a hug. These people understand the importance of belonging for those who are lost, and offer a place of refuge…at a price. As “Skin” moves into its second half, it is clear that the story is as much about the culture and seduction of hate as it is one man’s escape from it.
Indeed, while comparisons to “American History X” or “Romper Stomper” are inevitable, and some common ground does exist by way of the mechanics of the narrative (skinhead is bad, skinhead has an awakening, skinhead reforms), the focus here is unique. Bryon is the film’s guide through all of this, to be sure, yet “Skin” is less about him and more about the world that allows people of his background to fall into, and out of, this lifestyle.
Guy Nattiv directed “Skin,” and while his hand behind the camera is steady, the one penning the dialogue in the script is less so. Conversations between the characters often pass with little rhythm and are stripped bare of nuance or natural flourishes. It comes across as clunky, and while the arc of the narrative holds together well enough, the words that pass between the characters struggle in this regard. Bell, Camp, and Co. do a great job selling all of this, as does Mike Colter as Bryon’s redeemer, Daryle Jenkins, yet it is a hurdle to be cleared.
Poignant, timely, and stocked with great performances throughout, “Skin” takes a hard look at the ways people learn to hate, and the resiliency and courage of those who manage to escape this mindset. Bolstered by revelatory turns by its cast, the film never shies away from the realities of its subject matter, even if the script struggles to keep pace with the narrative at times. Like Bryon, “Skin” is rough around the edges, yet worth exploring to get at the goodness within. [B]