Photo courtesy of A24.
This November, the name of the game is aliens.
Midtown Cinema will be screening all sorts of films about extraterrestrials and quite the variety of them, as well. From the classic “Alien”/“Aliens” pairing to “The Man Who Fell To Earth” to “It! The Terror From Beyond Space,” there are a variety of films to choose from.
But this reviewer’s favorite alien films are the ones that have a lot to say about humanity. And for what it’s worth, most of them do say something… but the prize winner is “Under The Skin,” director Jonathan Glazer’s close-up take on Michel Faber’s book of the same name.
The book and the movie are vastly different. While Faber’s story is a character-rich external take on the meat industry and animal cruelty, the film is more of a zoomed-in, stretched-out character piece, in which its protagonist (played by Scarlett Johansson) is very different but just as textured (deceptively so).
The first half of the film takes us on a spine-chilling, disturbing and erotic journey, revealing the unnamed protagonist’s goal—to lure human men into a trap to harvest their organs. A caretaker of sorts, disguised as a motorcyclist, seems to be following her around to pick up any remaining pieces that she can’t handle herself. Our nameless protagonist seems cold to the fact that she is harming individuals. In fact, she seems to view them with as much (or as little) empathy as she views an ant.
In the second half of the film, however, something changes. Maybe it’s the last man she ensnares that hits her with a pang of empathy or maybe it’s the fly she sees throwing itself at the window, trying to break free. Whatever it is, it causes our leading lady to break out of her role as temptress and try to lose herself in the world she was trying to use.
“Under The Skin” is more than just a thought-provoking alien film—it strives to make you uncomfortable. And it’s heavy on the sex, but not in a titillating way. In fact, it strives to show you many different shades of sex (sex for the purpose of entrapment vs. entrapment for the purpose of sex—so for those who need it, there’s your content warning for attempted rape). But also sex as connection and as an experience—one of many that she tries out in order to understand the humans around her. The film leaves much up to interpretation, and some might argue the pace is a bit glacial. However, all of these elements combine to create something truly stark and foreign. Johansson gives a surprisingly rich performance for a character who emits so little emotion, and the result is fascinating.
While there are plenty of great films playing for this month’s alien-themed repertory, make sure you leave time to see “Under The Skin,” playing Nov. 21 and 25.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
November Events At Midtown Cinema
An Out-of-this-World November
“Alien” (1979)
Friday, Nov. 3, 9:30 p.m.
“Aliens” (1986)
Saturday, Nov. 11, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
“A Quiet Place” (2018)
Saturday, Nov. 18, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 19, 7:45 p.m.
“The Man Who Fell to Earth” (1976)
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 7:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26, 7:15 p.m.
“Under The Skin” (2013)
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 25, 9:30 p.m.
Family Series presents
“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
Saturday, Nov. 4, 11 a.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday Docs Series presents
“Ariel Phenomenon” (2017)
Sunday, Nov. 5, 2 p.m.
Down in Front! comedy riffing presents
“It! The Terror from Beyond Space” (1958)
Friday, Nov. 10, 9:30 p.m.
3rd in the Burg Movie Night presents
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977)
Friday, Nov. 17, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.
“Our Right to Gaze” (2023)
Shorts from Black filmmakers
Sunday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.
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