Skincare starring Elizabeth Banks is based on a nearly unbelievable true story about a celebrity beautician and it is just begging to be a streaming true crime hit
A film based on an incredible true story revolving around a businesswoman who would eventually be labeled a ‘killer facialist’ is just waiting to become a streaming hit.
Skincare releases in the UK on digital platforms on November 11, meaning it can be available on a number of storefronts but has not found a streaming home, whether permanently or even temporarily. That feels like a big mistake.
The good news is that that shouldn’t stop true film fans from watching the film as soon as they can. Particularly if they have binged every true crime documentary, serial dramatization or other currently available.
An opening title card for Skincare informs the audience that the film is actually a fictional piece of work inspired by real events. It is a bit more than that.
Skincare tells the story of facialist-to-the-stars Hope Goldman, played by Elizabeth Banks, whose life unexpectedly descends into chaos when she becomes convinced someone is out to destroy her. The small business owner, about to finally launch her own branded skincare range, is put out when it appears a rival opens a competing store across the street. A wild chain of events soon follow that threaten to make her another victim of the dark side of Los Angeles.
The real story serving as heavy inspiration for the film, concerns Dawn DaLuise, a real-life beautician who counted Nicki Minaj as one of her A-list clients at one time. While Skincare may change the names of all its real life counterparts, it relies heavily on the real DaLuise as the basis for the character of Hope and what happened to her as each beat of the story.
To list everything that actually happened to her, which would result in her eventually relaunching her career under the brand ‘Killer Facials’ here would spoil not only the plot of the film but more importantly ruin what works most within it.
It does enough to skip along the fictional plot beats while maintaining a perfectly manicured hand away from the real story.
Also starring Lewis Pullman and Nathan Fillion, the film is in as reliable territory in terms of performances as those names alongside Banks would suggest.
Director Austin Peters has a long CV of music videos for artists ranging from Bastille and Haim to Charli XCX and Diplo. That musical literacy is apparent with every dramatic turn accompanied by a heavy thrum that resounds in your chest and serves as a near constant reminder that no character is to be trusted and Hope’s almost limitless paranoia.
Its the final moments of the film where the filmmakers creativity away from its inspiration. No matter whether adapting real life events into a series or a film, it’s difficult to include everything, more so when limited to a modest ninety minute runtime.
But Skincare makes a knowing step away from its muse and it’s apparent that there’s a chapter missing. It would make sense if there was a sequel or a season two.
While the final image of Banks is poignant, and an interesting reflective moment of her character, its knowingly not based in reality.
The real DaLuise reportedly has her own documentary on the way, and attended an early screening of the film based around the strangest events of her life. It could be a race to see whether that or the film makes it to streaming first.
With the likes of Monsters and Woman of the Hour occupying the top spots of streaming charts, it’s a little hard to believe that Skincare is not shoulder to shoulder with them. But you can still get ahead of the trend before that inevitably happens.
Skincare is available on digital platforms from November 11
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