Humanoids in Transition: Corrupted Binaries, Fluidity, and Embodied In-between

Are non-binary and genderfluid identities distinct from other trans identities in their screen representation? I look to two examples; The Man Who Fell to Earth () and Under the Skin () to explore the variability of these identities in relation to screen representations of aliened characters within a Western understanding of gender. To ground my assertion, I utilize key theories in trans cinema studies, including Jack Halberstam’s conception of queer time, Cáel M Keegan’s trans phenomenology, and Eliza Steinbock’s considerations of trans aesthetics. I argue that the liminal positionality of these identities is non-assimilative and deserving of inquiry, as both contained within, and beyond, trans cinematic theory.