Skin

The self-hating Jew is a recurrent character in both history and fiction, whether due to the critical and analytic nature of the religion itself or some darker aspect of human nature. Figures ranging from Vladimir Lenin and Bobby Fischer to Philip Roth and Woody Allen are often—and often incorrectly—pegged as poster boys for such self-loathing. While fictional, Skin unflinchingly examines the roots and dangers of internalized oppression, acutely and terrifyingly sketching out a heightened portrait of a young Dutch Jewish boy’s journey from an easygoing, fun-loving teenager to a neo-Nazi thrown in prison for committing a serious crime. Offering a fresh take on themes raised in American History X and The Believer, Skin tells the story of Frankie, a rambunctious but generally well-meaning son of a Holocaust survivor who becomes increasingly unhinged as his mother’s cancer worsens. Grippingly told in parallel time lines—one beginning with Frankie’s first day in prison and the other tracing his downward spiral toward the act that lands him there—the narrative maintains a tense grittiness and an honorable commitment to dramatic objectivity throughout. While ultimately tightfisted about condemning Frankie for his crime, the film provides a scarily realistic view into his all-too-believable motives, and refuses to clear any of us of at least some blame or complicity.