“Skin” is a 2018 Drama short film directed by Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv. This film won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2019. Below is a comprehensive guide to the film:
Skin a 2018 Drama short film directed by Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv
A brutal, 20‑minute gut punch about racism, revenge, and the cycle of hate, Skin takes a single, seemingly small moment and spins it into a shocking chain of events. Written and directed by Guy Nattiv and co‑written with Sharon Maymon, the short is a tense morality tale that refuses to let you look away — and it earned the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 91st Oscars.
🧭 Overview
- Genre: Drama / Thriller / Social Commentary
- Director & Co‑Writer: Guy Nattiv
- Co‑Writer: Sharon Maymon
- Producers: Guy Nattiv, Jaime Ray Newman, Andrew Carlberg, Tim Harms
- Cast:
- Jonathan Tucker as Jeffrey
- Danielle Macdonald as Christa
- Ashley Thomas as Jaydee
- Jackson Robert Scott as Troy
- Lonnie Chavis as Bronny
- Cinematography: Drew Daniels 🎥
- Editor: Yuval Orr
- Music: Brian McOmber 🎼
- Production companies: New Native Pictures, Studio Mao
- Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Runtime: ~20 minutes
- Premiere: August 23, 2018 — HollyShorts Film Festival
- Awards: Oscar winner, plus multiple festival honors
Watch full short:
📖 Story in Brief
In a small U.S. town, a white supremacist family spends a carefree day at the lake. Tattoos and casual bigotry mark their world.
At a grocery store checkout, Troy — the young son — shares a brief, innocent smile with Jaydee, a Black man holding a toy. His father Jeffrey notices and reacts with hostility, hurling a racial slur.
What follows is a violent parking‑lot assault by Jeffrey and his friends on Jaydee, witnessed by both families — including Jaydee’s son Bronny, who locks eyes with Troy in a moment of silent recognition.
Days later, Jeffrey is ambushed by a group of Black men, including Bronny’s family. They abduct him, drug him, and over several days tattoo his entire body black — a chilling reversal meant to force him to live in the skin he despises.
When Jeffrey returns home, his wife Christa is terrified. His attempts to scrub away the ink fail. The cycle of fear and violence is far from over.
🛠️ Creative DNA & Style
- Moral inversion: The film flips the racial power dynamic to confront viewers with the cruelty of prejudice.
- Tight pacing: Every beat pushes the story toward its shocking climax.
- Naturalistic performances: The cast plays it straight, making the violence feel disturbingly real.
- Visual symbolism: Tattoos as identity — and as a prison.
- Unflinching tone: No melodrama, just raw cause‑and‑effect storytelling.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
Pros
- 🎯 Impactful message: Condenses a complex social issue into a single, unforgettable arc.
- 🎭 Strong acting: Jonathan Tucker and Ashley Thomas bring layered intensity.
- 🎥 Cinematic craft: Crisp cinematography and editing keep tension high.
- 🏆 Proven resonance: Oscar win and global festival acclaim.
Cons
- ⏳ Short runtime: Leaves little room for deeper character backstory.
- 🌀 Graphic violence: May be too intense for sensitive viewers — though it serves the story’s purpose.
🌟 Themes & Resonance
- Cycle of hate: Violence begets violence, trapping everyone involved.
- Innocence vs. indoctrination: The children’s brief connection contrasts with their parents’ prejudice.
- Empathy through reversal: Forcing the oppressor to live the oppressed experience.
- Community complicity: Hate thrives when it’s normalized in everyday life.
👥 Who Is It For?
- Social issue advocates: Those seeking art that sparks urgent conversation.
- Drama lovers: Fans of tense, character‑driven storytelling.
- Festival audiences: Viewers who appreciate shorts that hit hard and fast.
💡 Humanized Takeaway
Skin is a mirror — and it’s not a comfortable one. Nattiv doesn’t offer easy redemption or tidy endings; instead, he shows how quickly hate can escalate, how deeply it scars, and how hard it is to break free from its grip. It’s a story about what we pass down to our children — and the cost of letting that inheritance be hate.
🔍 Find More & Watch
- Wikipedia entry on Skin (2018 short film) — full synopsis, cast, and production details.
- IMDb page for Skin — credits, reviews, and trivia.
- Internet Archive listing — streaming and download options.