Review of Mysterious Skin (2005) by Matt W — 16 Jul 2013

Mysterious Skin, an extremely powerful and thought provoking film, is set in a small US town and focuses on two boys who once played in the same junior baseball team. One grew up to become a nerdy teenage Brian (Brady Corbet,) who is obsessed with the idea that he was abducted by a UFO as a child. Brian is juxtaposed by the second protagonist Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt,) who grows up to become a reckless gay teen with a significant lack of respect, making money from sleeping with the older men from around town.

The film exposes the audience to the dark and unnerving world of child abuse and male prostitution, because of which some scenes are rather uncomfortable to watch.

The film is interesting in the way that it shows the different ways in which children deal with psychological trauma, and also the struggle people face when trying to come to terms with their past experience that they would rather not remember.

My only criticism in the fact that we are never told the explanation of why Brian and his family saw a UFO flying over their house, when in the end it becomes clear that this film is purely non science-fiction. But whatever, I'll let that one slip!

I was satisfied that Neil finally comes to his senses about just how reckless his lifestyle his while in New York, even if it did take a near-death experience to get this through to him.

I wish that the film was ten minutes longer and that we saw the two lads receive some justice, but we can only imagine this!

All in all it's an eye-opening film, reiterating just how vulnerable and fragile young children.

Mysterious Skin, an extremely powerful and thought provoking film, is set in a small US town and focuses on two boys who once played in the same junior baseball team. One grew up to become a nerdy teenage Brian (Brady Corbet,) who is obsessed with the idea that he was abducted by a UFO as a child. Brian is juxtaposed by the second protagonist Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt,) who grows up to become a reckless gay teen with a significant lack of respect, making money from sleeping with the older men from around town.

The film exposes the audience to the dark and unnerving world of child abuse and male prostitution, because of which some scenes are rather uncomfortable to watch.

The film is interesting in the way that it shows the different ways in which children deal with psychological trauma, and also the struggle people face when trying to come to terms with their past experience that they would rather not remember.

My only criticism in the fact that we are never told the explanation of why Brian and his family saw a UFO flying over their house, when in the end it becomes clear that this film is purely non science-fiction. But whatever, I'll let that one slip!

I was satisfied that Neil finally comes to his senses about just how reckless his lifestyle his while in New York, even if it did take a near-death experience to get this through to him.

I wish that the film was ten minutes longer and that we saw the two lads receive some justice, but we can only imagine this!

All in all it's an eye-opening film, reiterating just how vulnerable and fragile young children.