Who can definitively name the greatest films of all time? Many publications have attempted to whittle down the list, including UK's own British Film Institute (BFI).
Sight and Sound, the BFI's magazine, has carried out a poll every decade since 1952 to determine the best films in cinematic history. The latest iteration of the list from 2022 saw over 1,600 film critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics submit a ballot of their personal top 10.
The end result is a ranking of 250 films. It's quite a hefty list to comb through so we're spotlighting the highest-ranked British film from the 21st century for this weekend's viewing: Under the Skin.
The sci-fi horror features Scarlett Johansson as a seductive alien roaming the streets of Scotland. It was helmed by English director Jonathan Glazer, whose subsequent film, The Zone of Interest, scooped up awards at the BAFTAs and Cannes in 2023.
However, a decade earlier, Glazer loosely adapted Under the Skin from Michel Faber's novel of the same title, wherein Johansson portrays an extraterrestrial masquerading as a human. The movie's synopsis hints: "Her charm works like magic on them, but they are unaware of her true identity."
The female character, who remains unnamed throughout, preys on unsuspecting men. Many scenes where Johansson's character cruises around picking up men were genuine interactions filmed using hidden cameras.
Whilst the book never conceals her true motives — namely, to kill and butcher the men for meat — the film takes a more ambiguous approach.
Explaining its position on the list at number 169, the BFI said: "The icily brilliant Scarlett Johansson stars as an alien predator scouring Scotland's streets for human prey, in Jonathan Glazer's astonishing amalgam of fantasy and reality.
"Mixing mind-bending visuals and hallucinatory sound design with an unexpected naturalism, Glazer returned to the screens after a nine-year absence in audacious style, utilising guerrilla filmmaking tactics to capture Glasgow and its unsuspecting inhabitants with intimate realism."
The film is "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an 83% approval rating.
However, the movie's ambiguous storytelling divides opinion like Marmite, which the critics consensus acknowledges: "Its message may prove elusive for some, but with absorbing imagery and a mesmerising performance from Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin is a haunting viewing experience."
Despite flopping at the box office, it secured BAFTA nominations for Outstanding British Film and Best Original Music.
The Guardian awarded it five out of five stars whilst another glowing review from the Chicago Sun-Times gushed: "This is what we talk about when we talk about film as art."
Film enthusiasts continue to debate whether the movie deserves to be celebrated as a masterpiece. One viewer took to Reddit in 2025, more than a decade after the film hit cinemas, to say: "I just watched Under the Skin and I can't decide whether it is a masterpiece or a terrible movie. What is your opinion?"
One responded: "It's one of the best movies of the previous decade." Another agreed: "Masterpiece absolutely. Couldn't stop thinking about that movie for weeks. Still think about it sometimes."
A third summarised: "It's one of my favourite films, but one of my friends who I saw it with in theatres despised it."
Under the Skin is available to stream for free for Amazon Prime subscribers.
