Identity
Probably the main theme of the film, the Alien is concealing its true form by passing off as a beautiful human woman. As she is hunting men, she begins to question her actions which drive her into an identity crisis, and she seeks to find new meaning to life, but she is disappointed all through the film. We see the logger get addicted to the surface beauty of the alien that when he finally sees her true form he’s disgusted at himself and the alien. He chooses to violently reject that which he simply does not understand and seeks to destroy it.
Sex
Themes of sex are highlighted in the film when the alien lures these men to a dark room on the promise of sex. The function of sex is intriguing as the alien goes from luring men with it to her wanting to feel pleasure, but she cannot which drives her to the ugly side of sex when she is violated by the logger. This provides a fitting commentary on human sexuality based on the experiences of a non-human looking into humanities behaviors.
Body Image
Her physical appearance is what the alien uses in her quest to find men. The skin she’s wearing is of an attractive woman whom men want to sleep with. Men don’t suspect a thing because she has a pretty face and looks harmless. Women are less likely to be considered dangerous people based on our society which could hide some real problematic issues. The alien is fully aware of her appearance as the desired object but going forward she tries to not be defined by it. These are just a few examples of how the film addresses body image, stigma, sexual issues, and violence. Body Image is highlighted in another part of the film when the alien meets the disfigured man. He goes out at night because he doesn’t look like everyone else. He has become isolated because the body standards of our reality do not conform to his facial features. The alien, however, doesn’t see it that way. Also, a commentary on how we perceive disfigured individuals in our society.
Feminism
The alien takes the form of a woman who is hunting men. Most problematic characters in the film are usually men, but in this film, the woman is using her feminine power of beauty and sex to lure men. She is portraying a character that in today’s standards is seen as a feminist champion. Although her actions are still wrong and problematic, men are served with a few lessons on how their urges could be used against them. What the alien finally realizes is that men are not taught by society how to see women as equals or even as human which is played perfectly when it all leads to her demise.
