May 16, 2023
Review: 'Under My Skin' a Four-Way Heartbreaker
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Non-binary songwriter Denny faces the usual artistic woes and roadblocks, including venue owners who refuse to pay up, the song that refuses to be nailed down and written, and constant unwanted attention from men. But when they meet Ryan, an up-and-coming young hotshot of a lawyer who works with big-name clients, the stage is set for a major love affair – and major heartbreak.
In a novel twist, Denny is played by four different non-binary actors, including "Yellowjackets" star Liv Hewson, "Euphoria" actor Bobbi Salvor Menuez, and newcomers Lex Ryan and Chloe Freeman – a literal interpretation of how an artist's self-perceptions might shift, mercurially and unpredictably, but also a means of cinematically expressing how Denny's self-image isn't necessarily fixed, and might have nothing in common with how others see her – not even Ryan (who is played by the handsome and talented Alex Russell).
As Ryan rises through the ranks at work (one of his cases involves a celebrity dealing with sexual harassment accusations; "I wanna fuckin' bury this little homo," the celeb growls), Denny struggles to find their voice and their medium. Anything is fair game for art: a guitar, the living room wall. Denny brings aggravation as well as constant challenge and surprise to Ryan's life, and even when they're fighting they have hot, passionate sex.
But once Denny admits to questioning their gender identity – and once they go on testosterone – it's more than Ryan bargained for. Not the prospect of gender transition, necessarily – he's forthright about that – but the other changes that Denny might undergo, including whether they still want to be with him.
The changing representations of Denny aren't just skin (or even body) deep; each of the four actors that play Denny brings something distinct to the role, and it's amusing to hear British actor Chloe Freeman set aside an American accent in favor of her native one.
An unconventional love story, "Under My Skin" feels like a cross pollination between drama and rom-com, with a grounded sensibility that most likely comes from O'Donnell having drawn on his own life experiences in the process of writing and directing. The result is fresh, novel, and penetrating; this is O'Donnell's feature debut, but it almost certainly won't be his last.
"Under My Skin" is available on demand starting June 6.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
