Unveiling the layers: ‘Skin Deep’ marks Alex Schaad’s intriguing debut

Unveiling the layers: ‘Skin Deep’ marks Alex Schaad’s intriguing debut. Leyla (Mala Emde) and Tristen (Jonas Dassler)-the couple– is facing a crisis these days.

By Staff

Leyla is dealing with depression and disinterest in engaging with the world around her. With others, she is off and has stopped working.

The image of Leyla sinking beneath the surface as the light above her fades reappears throughout the film, a reminder of the feelings she cannot describe.

The marks on his arms are the scars of his previous battles with these feelings. Her attentive husband Tristen accepts a private island retreat at the suggestion of Leyla’s old friend Stella (Edgar Selge).

It’s a strange place with a stylistic sense of Scandinavian sparseness, spa aesthetics and a deep appreciation for wooden surfaces.

The other couples seem almost excited about what’s about to happen. This remote location offers something quite unique: the opportunity to swap bodies with another couple.

Alex Schaad’s first feature film, “Skin Deep,” is a minimalistic sci-fi drama delving into the societal and romantic implications of its straightforward concept.

Body swap movies are usually about giving the protagonist a different perspective, offering them the opportunity to grow in the process. In “Freaky Friday,” a mother and daughter swap bodies to show the challenges each faces at that age.

Heaven Can Wait” gives a former football star a new chance at life with a newfound appreciation.

The anime “Your Name” perhaps comes closest to the concept of “Skin Deep” when two high school students who have never met each other begin swapping bodies and decide to act on their new connection by meeting in person.

In “Skin Deep,” the process offers Leyla the chance to feel something different and essentially renew her sense of self and her relationship with Tristen, if only he can accept her new form.

Co-written by Schaad and his brother Dimitrij, “Skin Deep” takes some cues from Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster,” but with a somber tone, really delving into the unintended consequences of the procedure.

By chance, Tristen and Leyla swap with another problematic couple, Fabienne (Maryam Zaree) and Mo (Dimitrij Schaad), making Tristen uncomfortable and aborting the body swap before speaking to Leyla, which devastates her.

This in turn leads Leyla to swap with another man on the island while Tristen remains the same, bringing other uncomfortable feelings and conversations.

For Leyla this is a form of release, for Tristen it becomes the question of whether he still loves Leyla in whatever form she takes.

Imagine how connected a couple must be if each truly understands how the other feels,” Leyla tells Tristen, both marveling at another couple’s connection and wishing it was theirs, too.

I followed Schaad’s film and the ups and downs of Leyla’s quest to find her new self, but one detail felt less considered than the rest of the narrative.

The man who offers to swap bodies with Leyla, Roman (Thomas Wodianka), is grieving the loss of his partner and agrees to help her so that at least one of them can be happy.

The new body rekindles all the joys and passions within her that had been dormant, but when the time comes to swap bodies and leave the island, Leyla doesn’t want to do it.

Raising ethical dilemmas about swapping bodies with someone who may not be ready for her effects or keeping another’s body without consent, something that is never fully addressed.

The issue is resolved quickly, but it feels so rushed compared to everything that came before.

Still, Schaad’s take on body-swap therapy works in many ways. The story is timely amid a heightened awareness of fluid identities and how relationships can change depending on the people involved: do they accept you regardless or reject you because of it?

Schaad’s camera moves quickly (if not always smoothly) between close-ups of his subjects, showing just enough of the island to create the illusion of a futuristic but rustic couple’s retreat, with the help of cinematographer Ahmed The Nagar and production designer Bartholomäus Martin Kleppek.

The cast manages to pull off the amazing feat of seamlessly switching between personalities, subtly altering their body language to reflect the character currently residing behind their eyes.

While the intertext helps the audience follow who is in what bodily form, it is almost superfluous because the acting is impeccable.

For a modest sci-fi with almost no special effects, it’s remarkable how far Schaad can take his story and his audience on this emotional journey with Leyla.