When Bryon falls for mother of-three Julie (Patti Cake$ star Danielle Macdonald), however, he find the impetus for change, especially when she has no wish for her kids to be around the hatred spewed out by his socalled 'brothers'. While he has encouragement from an activist (Mike Colter) who looks to help him reform, Bryon's efforts inevitably cause tensions with Fred, Shareen and the others. Writer-director Guy Nattiv weaves in several sequences in which Bryon endures the agonising removal of his tattoos, symbolically shedding his former persona. It's hardly a spoiler to reveal that he does turn his back on his right-wing roots, but Skin is more about the painful journey he undertakes to get there. Bell and Macdonald make for an authentic grass-roots couple, although Nattiv never quite convinces us that their love is enough to motivate the change in Bryon. As a result, the script loses some momentum in the final third. But in the wake of Charlottesville, Skin is still a timely, provocative piece, flush with hope.
