The Skin I Live In

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The Skin I Live In

R

2011

2h 0m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

178 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Ever since his beloved wife was horribly burned in an auto accident, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), a skilled plastic surgeon, has tried to develop a new skin that could save the lives of burn victims. Finally, after 12 years, Ledgard has created a skin that guards the body, but is still sensitive to touch. With the aid of his faithful housekeeper (Marisa Paredes), Ledgard tests his creation on Vera (Elena Anaya), who is held prisoner against her will in the doctor's mansion.

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Critics Consensus

The Skin I Live In lacks Almodovar's famously charged romance, replaced with a wonderfully bizarre and unpredictable detour into arthouse ick.

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Gabrielle Rivera

Autostraddle

06/11/2021

Banderas settles into the dark character of Dr. Ledgard with a stillness and apparent ease that gave me the chills I left the movie theater wondering if it worth it.

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José Teodoro

Film Comment Magazine

11/05/2013

Almodóvar has a body of work as rigorously personal as any out there, and, even with its flaws, he wears this latest Skin rather well.

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Nicolas Rapold

Film Comment Magazine

07/01/2013

Despite the typically invigorating sense of line and framing, The Skin I Live In withholds the director's customary satisfactions and affirmations. The result is a saga of obsession that, in its saturnine undertone, maintains a hard-to-enjoy integrity.

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Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

Mar 21

3.5/4

Like the lovely Vera, the film offers cool, attractive surfaces, but the secret behind the woman and her world she inhabits will chill you to the bone.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

10/04/2024

Banderas’ Ledgard is charismatic, sinister and full of deep rooted rage. Banderas’ performance is very remisicitant of Cary Grant in Suspicion (1941), but our suspicions of Ledgard is very much justified in The Skin I Live In.

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Michael Leader

Den of Geek

05/07/2024

4/5

Alberto Iglesias' astounding score is a diverse work, taking in a wide array of tones and arrangements, shifting from high tension string sections, to electronic backbeats, from guitar drones to moody saxophone.

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Alexsander F

@Aelxs Feb 28

I am at a loss for words when it comes to articulating my thoughts regarding this film. / No encuentro palabras para expresar mis pensamientos sobre esta película.

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Richard S

@RT25368873 Sep 20

Creepy and boring. I watched this film once in 2013 and once in 2025. It might be more interesting the first watch, but there is limited rewatchability

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Jordan M.

@jmiller254 Jul 7

Interesting from beginning to end and hours later after you think about what the hell you just watched

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Laurian D

@Laurian Jun 18

Could have been great, but makes use of graphic scenes just for shock factor, and they don't add anything to the story. It's just ok and worth a watch because of that.

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Flavio P

@RT63565229 04/09/2025

Ho retto 52 minuti. Ogni minuto speravo di bruciare come la moglie del protagonista.

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Paul S

@RT91988760 04/08/2025

It was a little boring, but the story was disturbing and captivating. I definitely recommend it for drama fans!

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Pedro Almodóvar

Director

Antonio Banderas

Dr. Robert Ledgard

Elena Anaya

Vera

Marisa Paredes

Marilia

Jan Cornet

Vicente

Roberto Álamo

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Synopsis

Ever since his beloved wife was horribly burned in an auto accident, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), a skilled plastic surgeon, has tried to develop a new skin that could save the lives of burn victims. Finally, after 12 years, Ledgard has created a skin that guards the body, but is still sensitive to touch. With the aid of his faithful housekeeper (Marisa Paredes), Ledgard tests his creation on Vera (Elena Anaya), who is held prisoner against her will in the doctor's mansion.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Producer: Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García
Screenwriter: Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: El Deseo S.A., FilmNation, Canal+ España
Rating: R (Drug Use|Disturbing Violent Content|Strong Sexuality|Graphic Nudity|Language|Sexual Assault)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: European Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 14, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 10, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.2M
Runtime: 2h 0m