For years, actress-filmmaker Elizabeth Banks has been one of the screen's most reliably hilarious presences, from her scene-stealing turns in ensemble comedies like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Wet Hot American Summer" to her starring roles in funny flicks like "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and "Walk of Shame." And that list is set to continue with Banks's newest project, Peacock's "The Miniature Wife," playing a woman whose scientist husband (Matthew Macfadyen) accidentally shrinks her to six inches high.
But the arrival of that new comedy series (which premieres on April 9) had us thinking about one of our favorite Elizabeth Banks roles, in the darkly funny 2024 thriller "Skincare," which you can stream now on Hulu. In the Austin Peters-directed "sunshine noir," Banks plays a Hollywood aesthetician whose life and career begin to unravel amid professional jealousy.
It's a suspenseful watch and also a sharp satire of image-obsessed Los Angeles, but if you need more convincing, here's why you should add this underrated Hulu movie to your next streaming session.
What is 'Skincare' about?
Elizabeth Banks leads the black comedy/psychological thriller as Hope Goldman, a famed aesthetician who runs a successful skincare studio in Los Angeles, California. As she’s getting set to launch her new skincare line, however, she makes the unpleasant discovery that a rival aesthetician, Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez), is opening a boutique directly across from hers.
A little friendly competition, however, descends into paranoia as Hope believes that Angel is trying to sabotage her business by stealing her clients and tarnishing her reputation. With the help of her life-coach pal Jordan Weaver (Lewis Pullman), Hope desperately investigates who’s been hacking her emails, slashing her tires and ruining her life.
Why you should you stream 'Skincare' on Hulu
Loosely inspired by the real-life murder-for-hire plot of celebrity facialist Dawn DaLuise, “Skincare” is as much a heart-pumping psychological thriller as it is a bleakly funny commentary on the excessive vanity and desperation of Hollywood and the cosmetics industry.
At the center of it all is a standout performance by Elizabeth Banks, who gamely taps into Hope’s growing distrust and mania as her world spirals in the wake of Angel’s arrival.
Though the film itself — which also stars Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Nathan Fillion and Erik Palladino — earned mid-to-positive reviews overall, with a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Banks’ performance was widely lauded: "'Skincare's' script could use some rejuvenation, but Elizabeth Banks' superb performance gives this thriller its own kind of radiance,” reads the site’s critical consensus.
Peter Travers agreed over at ABC News, writing that the “criminally underrated Elizabeth Banks” is “sheer bonkers perfection” as “a control freak losing control.” “All praise to Banks, who should be a bigger star by now,” he adds, and we couldn’t agree more!
Watch "Skincare" on Hulu now
