In My Skin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

In My Skin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 11, 2025

Note: In My Skin was also released recently in Region A by Severin in both 4K and 1080, but as of the writing of this review, Severin has not sent their version for review purposes. This release in fact credits Severin for the restoration in some prefatory text (see below), though it looks like the releases have widely different special features, for those who might want to do a bit of comparison shopping. For those interested, the 1080 check disc I received played fine in my Region A players.

Probably the single most salient piece of information for prospective viewers unschooled about In My Skin is that (at least according to every source checked) all of the horrifying self harm and mutilation depicted in the film was achieved through special effects. That may only partially ameliorate the shock and, well, Repulsion some may feel watching the unsettling damage Esther (Marina de Van, who also wrote and directed) does to herself, for reasons which may frankly never be adequately explained, if, that is, one believes that such troubling behavior can be explained. That preceding link to a Polanski classic wasn't offered only as a pun (though that's always a side benefit), for much as with the 1965 opus, In My Skin documents the mental unraveling of a female protagonist, and some might argue this film has an even more insular, interior ambience than the Polanski outing since all of Esther's unrest seems to be turned inward toward herself, rather than what occurs when Carol in Repulsion starts "acting out". The result is unrelentingly grim and often very hard to even watch with fully open eyes, but perhaps especially for some women from what might be called the "our bodies, ourselves" camp of personal autonomy and empowerment, the subtext of the film may resonate in some unexpected ways.

In some ways it might be argued that In My Skin actually offers a more straightforward narrative than Repulsion, at least insofar as some of the "external" information imparted, which begins with Esther attending a party where she journeys out into a yard and manages to impale herself on a piece of metal in the darkness. She really isn't even aware that she's pretty seriously injured herself until she sees blood later, but even then, she seems curiously (and here comes another pun, sorry, not sorry) sanguine about it all to the point of being nonplussed. She at least finally goes to a doctor, who patches her up but who expresses understandable surprise that it took her seeming hours after the incident to actually see someone for help.

What this whole opening conceit at least indicates is that Esther may have some kind of weird "superpower" a la Unbreakable where she just doesn't feel pain, but that would seem to be at odds with further developments, where Esther launches into some absolutely severe self harm, which at least some armchair psychoanalysts might chalk up to her needing to feel something. All of this is deliberately disjunctive with Esther's otherwise seemingly at least relatively "normal" relationship with boyfriend Vincent (Laurent Lucas), at least that is until Vincent starts to really fundamentally question Esther's explanations for her rapidly deteriorating physical condition. One way or the other, De Van's screenplay never really even tries to "explain" Esther's motivations, which make the proceedings kind of unavoidably baffling at their core.

Two of the supplements offered in this package, along with some of De Van's own comments, seem to be rather strangely linking self harm to female empowerment, which is, as some of those selfsame supplements mention, part of how "transgressive" the film is. I'm just not sure if this kind of message is in fact empowering as much as it may be exploitative, but then again I'm neither female nor one to engage in self harm.

In My Skin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

In My Skin is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Radiance sent checks discs for purposes of this review and so I'm not privy to any verbiage included in an insert booklet, but their website mentions a "new 4K restoration from the original camera negative by Severin Films", and a prefatory text card before both the 1080 and 4K presentations offers a bit more information:

This 4K presentation was produced by Severin Films in assocation with Cite de Memoire / LTC Patrimoine.

Although the film was shot on 35mm celluloid in 2002, the dailies were transferred to tape and the movie completed in HD. In order to remaster the frilm for UHD in 2025, Cite de Memoire / LTC Patrimoine scanned the individual takes that were used in the movie in 4K and reassembled the cut digitally. The assembly was then delivered to Severin Films for color correction and restoration. The final 4K master was approved by director of photography Pierre Barougier.

Fine detail is excellent enough throughout this presentation that my hunch is some viewers will actually need to avert their eyes during the more extreme moments of body horror. Even relatively "safer" moments like a close-up of Esther unwrapping a bloody gauze covering over her leg wound may be distressing for some, though the fine detail on the fabric is testament to the precision of the transfer. The palette is healthy and looks natural throughout, if arguably just slightly skewed toward yellows at times. Speaking of yellow, the one place where some may need to take a deep breath is in terms of rather heavy grain field. It can be especially swarm like against brighter backgrounds, as in a lot of the early party scenes or, somewhat later, the doctor's office. Darker backgrounds tend to at least give the perception of a more tightly resolved grain field, but a lot of this presentation looks undeniably yellow and splotchy. That said, grain is probably less observably thick at this resolution than in Radiance's 4K release.

In My Skin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In My Skin features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in the original French, and the sound design is perhaps commendably a bit more restrained than some of the visuals on display. One of the strengths of the film is the really interesting score by Esbjörn Svensson, and that is very well presented throughout, with clear engagement of the surround channels. Some scenes, like the opening party vignette, also benefit from crowded frames with a kind of background cacophony that spills into the rear and side speakers. Outdoor material also has some well placed ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

In My Skin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Marina De Van is in French with English subtitles.


• Marina De Van (HD; 26:20) discusses the film and her own experiences with self harm. Subtitled in English.


• Pierre Barougier (HD; 21:52) discusses his cinematography.


• Marc Adjadj (HD; 20:16) is an audio interview focusing on Adjadj's relationship with De Van. This plays to scenes from the film and is subtitled in English.


• Student Shorts

Bien Sous Tous Rapports (HD; 11:53)




Retention (HD; 15:10)

• Manuela Lazic (HD; 12:05) offers the writer's thoughts on the film and De Van.


• Bleed Like Me (HD; 10:39) is a visual essay that addresses a perceived nexus between eroticism and violence.


• Trailer (HD; 1:37)

In My Skin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some of the supplements included at least allude to the "polarizing" and "divisive" qualities of In My Skin, and even those who may share my general lack of enthusiasm for the project may well also agree with my assessment that De Van is obviously an intentional provocateur who definitely has something to say. What exactly that is may frankly be a bit muddled in In My Skin, but some of those aforementioned supplements may come in handy in that regard. Technical merits are solid, and the supplements very interesting, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.