InAlienable (2008) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place primarily in two interconnected locations: a scientific research institute where the alien parasite is discovered and studied, and a courtroom where a legal battle unfolds over the creature's status and rights. These settings represent the conflict between scientific discovery and legal institutions.

• setting
• locations
• scientific institute
• courtroom

The story exists in a contemporary scientific and legal world where government institutions become involved in extraordinary cases. The research institute represents scientific exploration and moral conflict, while the courtroom becomes a battleground for defining personhood and civil rights.

• world
• setting
• science
• law
• government

The film explores four major themes: Found Family, where Norris forms a paternal bond with the alien parasite; Legal Ethics, examining habeas corpus and personhood; Otherness and Identity, questioning what makes someone human; and Guilt and Redemption, as Norris seeks healing through protecting his surrogate child.

• themes
• family
• identity
• personhood
• legal
• guilt
• redemption

Eric Norris bonds with the alien parasite growing inside him and treats it as a surrogate son named Benjamin. This challenges traditional definitions of family, exploring whether love can transcend biological ties and whether an unconventional child has the right to belong.

• found family
• parenthood
• adoption
• love
• bonding

The courtroom drama centers on habeas corpus and the legal status of Benjamin, a being who is biologically alien but emotionally human. The film debates due process, protection under the law, and questions of personhood versus property.

• court
• legal
• habeas corpus
• personhood
• rights
• law

Benjamin's existence forces characters to confront fear of the unknown and examine what it means to be 'alien.' The story investigates prejudice, belonging, and the humanity we grant to those who are different, blurring lines between human and non-human.

• alien
• identity
• otherness
• prejudice
• belonging
• difference

Dr. Eric Norris is a guilt-wracked scientist portrayed by Richard Hatch who discovers an alien parasite growing inside him. Haunted by guilt over an accident that killed his family, he forms a fierce paternal bond with the alien being and fights through a controversial legal battle to defend his claim as Benjamin's parent.

• eric norris
• protagonist
• scientist
• father
• guilt

Benjamin is the alien child who grows within Dr. Norris as a parasite. Though biologically alien, he becomes the focal point of the film's legal battle. Those who care for him, including Norris and Amanda Mayfield, treat him as human and fight for his right to exist.

• benjamin
• alien child
• parasite
• son

Amanda Mayfield, played by Courtney Peldon, is Norris's new love interest and ally in the legal battle. She brings empathy to the case and supports Norris as his parental claim over Benjamin is tested in the courtroom drama.

• amanda mayfield
• ally
• support
• love interest

Howard Ellis, portrayed by Erick Avari, is the attorney who defends Benjamin's rights. He navigates the complexities of civil rights, due process, and public perception, working to establish a legal framework that could protect an alien child under the law.

• howard ellis
• attorney
• lawyer
• legal defense
• civil rights

Dr. Shilling, played by Walter Koenig, is an administrator at the scientific research institute who harbors resentment toward Norris due to old rivalries and personal history with Norris's late wife. He uses his authority to undermine Norris and opposes the legal case for Benjamin.

• dr shilling
• antagonist
• rival
• administrator

The film carries a predominantly tense tone driven by the central conflict between scientific discovery and legal authority. This tension is underlaid by a deep current of melancholic grief from the protagonist's loss. The emotional weight is heavy, anchored by themes of loss, unconventional parenthood, and ultimately tragedy.

• tone
• mood
• emotional
• grief
• tension
• tragedy

The ending is definitively tragic. The alien child Benjamin is killed when Emil brings a gun into the courtroom and shoots him. This devastating loss resolves the central conflict in a heartbreaking manner, marking the story as a sad, emotional journey about loss and the price of unconventional love.

• ending
• tragedy
• death
• finale
• sad