This Hindi movie is a pretty straightforward slice-of-life story that tries to give a modern look at what it's like to be a single, professional gay man. It dives into how he understands who he is, the chances he missed out on, and the personal choices he’s made along the way. The director used three parallel timelines to tell the story, which honestly didn't make much sense to me. While the core idea was actually pretty interesting, I really feel like this would have worked way better as a short film considering the point it was trying to make. Still, it wasn't a bad watch. The plot centers on Rachit, a city professional, and his friend Shikhar as they hang out for an evening. Rachit is a polished, urban guy, while Shikhar has more of a "small-town" rustic vibe, and you can really see the contrast between them when they talk. As the night goes on, Rachit starts thinking back to some old memories from a long time ago. He remembers being an intern after college in ...
Movie starts with we witnessing Jay getting abandoned by his Alabama parents for being gay. He is taken in his wing by a straight guy and his girlfriend who are moving to Halifax Canada to open a tattoo shop. Forward one year, and we meet Joshua, who is being shipped off to Canada from England after his mother's death to be with his biological father. He starts getting bullied at school and is saved by Jay on the streets. The two boys immediately connect and fall in love with each other. The bullying continues to an extent that Joshua punches the guys in his school and is therefore expelled. Social services decide to send him back to England. Completely heart-broken, both boys do not have a choice and Joshua moves back to England. A few months later, he gets a surprise visit, not only by Jay but the whole crew. They are in town for exhibition of Jay's photographs and finally things are starting to look better for both.
So, storywise as you can read, its pretty alright. But there are so many loopholes and things taken for granted, that its laughable. After all the vandalizing and almost life-taking attempts at bullying, there is no mention about reporting this to cops or school. Why? Also, its 2019 and its Canada.. such ignorance about homosexuality still exists? Why does a big ass school have only 5-6 students and just 2 teachers. The couple owning the tattoo store has not a single tattoo on their body. Joshua doesn't go meet his father even once in Canada (since he is with Jay all the time). Acting by both main characters is actually just average, not bad; but the couple who owns the tattoo parlour is the worse. They are both sooo bad. And as I mentioned above, a good part of movie time is taken away by random shots of the town. They are pretty but there is way too much unnecessary focus on that. And the sex scenes also look awkward.
In short, "Beneath the Skin" is a beginner's work. It shows potential because it isn't brilliant. The editor needs some massive coaching. You can watch it on a fast forward mode. (3.5/10)
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