# Skin (2018 feature film)

Skin is a 2018 American biographical drama film written and directed by Israeli-born filmmaker Guy Nattiv. The film stars Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Daniel Henshall, Bill Camp, Louisa Krause, Zoe Colletti, Kylie Rogers, Colbi Gannett, Mike Colter, and Vera Farmiga. The film is inspired by the true story of an American neo-Nazi skinhead named Bryon Widner.
Skin had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018 and was released on June 27, 2019 through DirecTV Cinema before a wide release on July 26, 2019 by A24.

## Plot

In the beginning, Bryon Widner's life unfolds as a skinhead deeply integrated into a white supremacist community. He grew up in a dysfunctional family and eventually ended up living on the streets. That’s when Fred, the leader of the Nazi community, and his wife took him in, gave him clothes, and found him a job. Believing he had finally found a real family, Bryon fully embraced the movement.
Over time, cracks began to appear in his so-called perfect skinhead life. He started showing aversion to certain acts of violence and fell in love with Julie Price, a vulnerable single mother of three. As their relationship grew, Bryon and Julie began building a different life together—one that included her children and distanced them from the white supremacist community.
Unhappy with his change of heart, his Nazi "family" tried to pull him back in. But when he became involved in the burning of a mosque in his hometown, an act that cost innocent lives, overcome with guilt, Bryon made the difficult decision to leave the white supremacist movement. He sought help from political activist Daryle Lamont Jenkins, who supported his transition out of extremism.
Bryon married Julie and he took on low-wage, manual jobs, struggling to find better opportunities due to his Nazi past.
But the movement refused to let him go. When they came after him again, he asked them to leave him alone, instead, they set up a test mission that resulted in Bryon being shot and one of the Nazis killed.
After recovering in the hospital, Bryon met with Jenkins, who arranged for his entry into the FBI’s witness protection program. However, the Nazis were relentless. One night, they ambushed Bryon’s home, shooting at the house while Julie—who was pregnant—and her children were inside. When the attack ended, Bryon discovered his dog, Boss, hanging from a tree—a chilling message from his former associates.
Later, he learned that one of Julie's daughters had deliberately given away their location to the white supremacist group. She had been manipulated by "Mum" of the Nazi community, who made her believe they were friends. Overcome with anger, Bryon lost control and became aggressive, prompting Julie to send him away.
Using the information Bryon provided, the FBI raided the white supremacist compound and arrested its members.
Determined to erase his past, Bryon agreed to undergo two years of surgeries to remove the tattoos covering his face and hands. In the end, he found his way back to his wife and child, hoping to build a new life free from hatred.
Jenkins continued leading the One People's Project, and Bryon became actively involved in the initiative, using his experience to help others leave extremist groups.

## Cast

* Jamie Bell as Bryon "Pitbull" Widner
** Tyler Williamson as young Bryon Widner
* Vera Farmiga as Shareen Krager
* Danielle Macdonald as Julie Price
* Mike Colter as Daryle Lamont Jenkins
* Bill Camp as Fred "Hammer" Krager
* Mary Stuart Masterson as Jackie Marks
* Daniel Henshall as Slayer
* Ari Barkan as Bulldog
* Justin Wilson as Mike
* Scott Thomas as Sean
* Michael Villar as Jerry
* Rob Figueroa as Prophet
* Russel Posner as Gavin
* Louisa Krause as April
* Zoe Colletti as Desiree
* Kylie Rogers as Sierra
* Colbi Gannett as Iggy
* Jaime Ray Newman as Nurse Melissa Frye
* Jenna Leigh Green as Rebecca Ramos

## Production

On May 11, 2017, international rights to Skin was bought by Seville International at the 70th Cannes Film Festival. In August 2018, it was reported that composer Dan Romer would be scoring the music for the feature.
In May 2017, it was announced that Jamie Bell and Danielle Macdonald would star in the film, with Nattiv writing the screenplay, producing and directing. In March 2018, after production on the film had started, Vera Farmiga was announced to have joined the cast of the film, with Nattiv's wife Jaime Ray Newman reported to be producing. That same month, Mike Colter was cast as Daryle Lamont Jenkins, founder of the One People's Project. Shortly thereafter, actors Ari Barkan, Scott Thomas, Daniel Henshall, Michael Villar, Justin Wilson, and Russel Posner joined the cast.
Principal photography began in January 2018 in Kingston, New York, and was completed in March 2018.

## Release

Skin had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018. Shortly after, A24 and DirecTV Cinema acquired distribution rights to the film. It was released through DirecTV Cinema on June 27, 2019, and had a limited release on July 26, 2019.

## Reception
### Critical response

Skin holds a 76% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 80 reviews, with an average of 6.6/10. The site's consensus reads: "Skin could stand to go a bit deeper below its surface, but a worthy story and a committed performance from Jamie Bell make this timely drama well worth a watch." On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 58 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".