Twisted sci-fi thrillers get under viewers’ skin

The latest starrers of Scarlett Johansson and Brenton Thwaites aren’t just guaranteed to get under discerning viewers’ skin, they also prove why the 29-year-old actress and the hot-to-trot Australian heartthrob are among Tinseltown’s most exciting stars these days. Their bodies of work cleverly juggle commercial appeal with roles that boost their stock as serious actors.

We first noticed Thwaites early this year in the psychological drama, “Oculus,” where he was cast as a troubled young man who has just been released from a mental institution, and had to face the consequences of the crime he committed as a boy.

In “Maleficent,” he wasn’t required to do much as Prince Phillip, but the role introduced him to mainstream audiences, who flocked to the theaters to see the much-missed Angelina Jolie playing it really lean and mean!

His next project, “The Giver,” is even more impressive, because he will be sharing the big screen with Jeff Bridges, Taylor Swift and—Meryl Streep!

In his latest film, William Eubank’s “The Signal,” he portrays brilliant student Nic Eastman, who goes on a road trip with his girlfriend, Haley (Olivia Cooke), and bosom buddy Jonah (Beau Knapp) to track down the elusive hacker who almost got them expelled at MIT.

The movie turns out to be more than just another thriller. A detour in the Nevada desert leads the trio to a deserted cabin, where they are attacked by unknown forces. When he wakes up, Nic finds himself imprisoned in a research facility manned by eerily sluggish and tight-lipped men in protective suits, led by Laurence Fishburne.

While Haley lies in a coma, Nic can hear Jonah whimpering in fear elsewhere in the strange building. When he attempts to escape, he realizes that something is very wrong with other parts of his, ugh, anatomy! —What’s happening here?

We’ll leave the rest of the story for you to find out. Suffice it to say that the production offers a unique viewing experience that raises questions about dystopian realities and life as we know it—because, as the movie suggests, things aren’t always what they seem!

Existentialist drama

For her part, Scarlett Johansson’s filmography is a marvel of thespic diversity: She played Janet Leigh in Sacha Gervasi’s “Hitchcock,” kicked butt as the Black Widow in Marvel’s financially lucrative superhero flicks, sang the Oscar-nominated song, “Before My Time” (from Jeff Orlowski’s documentary, “Chasing Ice”), and portrayed Maggie the Cat in the recent revival of “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” on Broadway!

She won a Tony for her professional stage debut in “A View From The Bridge” and earned acting nods for breathing life into the voice of an Operating System, in Spike Jonze’s futuristic romance, “Her.” The woman is fearless!

In “Under The Skin,” she basks in the “strange” beauty of Jonathan Glazer’s metaphor-heavy existentialist thriller, where she portrays a mysterious seductress who lures gullible hitchhikers and horny men in cold and windswept Scotland.

While the moody film’s storytelling style can occasionally get discombobulating, its viewer-hooking twists and sexually provocative tricks will take your breath away as they slowly unravel the real identity of Johansson’s character.

Are humans any less dangerous than the monstrous creatures they fear? And, what happens when the predator becomes the prey?

The answer will shock you—and, while it isn’t completely satisfying, it is one that has to be seen to be fully appreciated and enjoyed.