The MORONS Who Defend This Lousy Film

Ok so it's a given they are harvesting humans but why not cows as there is more risk... well, she eliminates much of the risk by going after lonely people. I don't see how it was all that elaborate, maybe just how this race of aliens does things...

She let the deformed guy go as she felt empathy for him, he was an outsider too - her feelings towards him changed, same as anyone's could... now the bit where he gives up and just gets into the car is a bit baffling, but there's nothing wrong with some mystery in a film that includes a tad of symbolism such as this.

The suit. Without having the whole film spoon-fed to me, I'd have to say that she was brought in to replace the girl at the start who similarly messed up, therefore possibly new to the suit. That maybe too simplistic an answer though, maybe she was conditioned and by learning to have empathy broke her conditioning - again just speculation, but it's another possible answer that you can take or leave - I don't mind not having a definitive answer to the mind-set of a female alien as I'm generally baffled by female humans (ask my wife!).

Now, when I said the film made sense, I'd have to admit not every aspect of each characters psychology jumped out at me, same as I'd be hard pushed to understand why Ferris would kiss Sloane the way he does in front of Ed Rooney that would attract unwanted attention...

Anyway, that seems to have shifted the hangover if nothing else, cheers!

I think that we don't see evidence of her empathy until immediately after she seduces the deformed man. She goes with the plan, and everything is in order, but then she states at herself in the mirror for a long time. She no longer wears the emotionless expression she's had for most of the film. She feels something. (Remember the earlier scene when biker guy examines her, perhaps to ensure that she isn't developing empathy.) Then we see a fly repeatedly bumping up against a pane of glass, as if trying to escape. When she sees this, she lets the man escape.

Although I agree that the alien wanting to be human is not original, I thought it was well done. She sees people who are kind to her (a man buys her a rose, strangers help her up after a fall) and this kindness seems foreign to her. She becomes fixated on the species and begins observing women as well as men, perhaps in an attempt to figure this species out.

After the emotional impact the deformed man had, she leaves her job, wanting to be like the humans she has observed. I think her sense of self may have been warped at this point. I've heard of cats who think they are dogs because they grow up with dogs. Perhaps a similar thing is happening here. Her desire for sex makes sense to me; of course she'd be curious about the tool she's been using to lure men to their deaths.

I hope this helps. I recognize that Under the Skin isn't perfect. (I'm with you on the pacing of the second half) but I think it is a significant step forward for filmmaking.

I haven't read the book, but I thought the film stands on its own. I don't think the why were they capturing men matters, or what they were doing with them. Knowing that it was something horrible was enough for me.

She didn't need to know how to have sex, that was never the point of her mission. It never went that far. She is an alien. I think that's why we were showed how little empathy she had for the toddler at the beach. As for the disfigured guy, I guess she felt something about the fact that he was insecure and nice.

Why should this alien eat cows? Why don't you go out and collect some slugs when you are hungry? Would be much simpler and cheaper than getting this elaborately processed cow meat for lunch.