The Outside story
Awkward and unattractive bank teller Stacey Chapman is invited to a Christmas party by her co-worker, Gina. At the party, Stacey feels excluded by her vain and gossiping colleagues, and is further humiliated when her secret Santa gift of a taxidermied duck is received unenthusiastically. Gina gifts each party- goer a box of Alo Glo, an expensive and popular skin lotion. Upon applying the lotion, Stacey finds that it severely irritates her skin. Stacey's husband Keith tries to boost her self-esteem, but is unsuccessful. Discouraged and unable to sleep, Stacey stays up watching television, only to happen across a commercial for Alo Glo. Stacey soon realizes that the ad's spokesman is talking directly to her, promising her that Alo Glo will make her beautiful if she continues to use it, going so far to say that it will make her a "new you." Stacey secretly orders a case of the lotion, and continues to use it, despite the irritation. Stacey soon finds that the tubes of Alo Glo have begun bursting, creating a puddle of lotion in her basement. A humanoid figure emerges from the puddle, mirroring Stacey's movements. Sensing familiarity with the figure, Stacey kisses and embraces it. Keith finally attempts to confront Stacey, but she stabs him in the forehead before killing him with an axe. Stacey then finds the lotion-figure in the bathroom, where it disintegrates back into lotion in her bathtub. Stacey submerges herself in the lotion, and re-emerges beautiful. Stacey taxidermies Keith's body, disposing of his organs in the garbage. The next day, Stacey's co-workers are struck by her newfound beauty. Stacey laughs and gossips with them, but soon is overtaken with a sense of unease. Cast: Kate Micucci, Martin Starr, Dan Stevens Directed by: Ana Lily Amirpour. Story by: Haley Z. Boston, Emily Carroll.
17 total · 3 choice · 11 major · 3 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| belonging | choice | The nerdy and mildly eccentric Stacey longed to fit in with her shallow and gossipy colleagues at the bank. |
| the desire to be beautiful | choice | The plot centered on Stacey's drive to be glamorously beautiful, like she believed her female coworkers are. |
| the need to belong | choice | The nerdy and mildly eccentric Stacey longed to fit in with her shallow and gossipy colleagues at the bank. |
| coping with someone who refuses to take care of their health | major | Keith confronted Stacey over her obsessive use of an expensive lotion that was giving her an eczema-like skin condition. |
| descent into madness | major | At her coworker's Christmas party, Stacey was gifted a beauty cream that seemed to prompt an allergic reaction. In fact, through a peculiar combination of effects, it hooked Stacey on applying evermore of it and then made her become more and more unhinged. At one point she became convinced that her television was talking to her. She ended up killing and taxidermising her husband. |
| human health condition | major | Stacey kept applying the special lotion to her body even though it was giving her an eczema-like skin condition. |
| husband and wife | major | Stacey had a loving husband whom she ended up killing and taxidermising. |
| jealousy | major | Stacey was envious of her (to her eyes) glamorous and attractive female coworkers. |
| magic potion | major | One interpretation of the story is that Stacy was completely sane and did not hallucinate. Evidence: The beautification process did things, like straightening her teeth, that could not have been a psychological effect. In this case the viewer would have to conclude that there was something entirely supernatural about the lotion she was using, much like a magic potion of yore. |
| obsession | major | Stacey became obsessed with applying a damaging skin care lotion to her body. |