In Her Skin - Plot

Plot

The film is based on the true story of the murder of Rachel Barber, an Australian teenager who went missing on 1 March 1999 and whose body was found on 13 March 1999. Rachel was killed by a former neighbor of the family, Caroline Reed Robertson, who had babysat all of the Barber children when she was a teenager. In Her Skin is inspired by the book Perfect Victim by Elizabeth Southall (Rachel's mother) and Megan Norris (investigative reporter). In the film, the story is told from the alternating points of view of the victim, the victim's parents, and the murderer. We feel sympathy for all of the characters as the story unfolds and reveals the secrets of Rachel's disappearance. The film begins on the night that Rachel goes missing and shows her parents, Elizabeth and Mike, as they frantically search for her—with little help from the local police. Flashbacks reveal details about all of the characters, including an explanation for the motive of the murderer, Caroline Reed Robertson. Caroline is portrayed in such a way that the audience develops some pity for her. She is a pathetic character, a disturbed young woman who has struggled all her life with feelings of parental rejection, inferiority, and self-loathing. Caroline sees Rachel as the embodiment of the perfect person she wishes she were. According to the film's end title notes, "Caroline Reed Robertson was found guilty of the murder of Rachel Barber and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She is eligible for parole in 2013, when she will be 33 years old."