Review of Mysterious Skin (2005) by Jamie F — 16 Jan 2013

Troubling. Difficult to watch at times. This film grapples with the very serious subject of child sexual abuse and male prostitution. It does so with honesty and never shows more than is absolutely necessary.

JGL is quite simply unforgettable as the jaded Brian. Ellison's vulnerability as Neil will tear your heart apart. Part of a great film is feeling invested in the characters, and I found myself wishing I could extricate them all from this dark, seedy, and downright damaging world in which they reside.

But part of what makes this film so great is that none of them seem to have abandoned all hope in the face of such horrific circumstances.