The seed for the crime thriller “Skincare” sprang from a stranger-than-fiction criminal case: A Los Angeles-based beautician to the stars was accused of plotting the murder of a rival skin-care expert. Yet director and co-writer Austin Peters wasn’t interested in creating a work of journalism or a documentary. Instead, he saw it as the perfect jumping-off point for a gothic tale of Southern California.

"It's inspired by a lot of movies and books that are set in this sunny, noir world of Los Angeles," says Peters, who wrote the film with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan. "We never wanted to tell the true story — that was never our intention. What appealed to us about the story is that it felt like a James M. Cain-style noir. It felt new and true to the Los Angeles that I know, the world that I know."

Though “Skincare” is Peters’ debut film, he had a partner in crime in the lead actress, Elizabeth Banks. She plays Hope Goldman, whose life is turned upside down when a more high-profile skincare expert named Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a clinic across the street and starts attracting her celebrity clients. The role of Hope is a complex one, with moments of humor, angst and ambition as she deals with increasingly shady characters from L.A.’s underbelly while her business takes a hit. Given Banks’ experience in front of and behind the camera, Peters says she threw herself into the project wholeheartedly.

"She's an ideal partner and is so supportive of me, the film and my vision for it, while also adding so much to it," he says. "She brought this character to life and was always there to support me with any questions I had. It was an ongoing collaboration and in our rehearsals beforehand, which were very short, and on the day of, I couldn't have asked for a better partner as a director. As someone to direct, she just brought it and she worked every day. We shot for 18 days and she worked every day from morning to night."