Review of Mysterious Skin (2005) by Jack T — 17 Nov 2010

Beautiful and disturbing at the same time, Mysterious Skin is a complex and challenging emotional experience.

There is accomplished acting in this film, and there needs to be- it is not an easy story. Gordon-Levitt evokes a realism that holds him apart from the details of his life, while Corbet's character seems frozen in his childhood, afraid to grow up. Both are lucky to have friends who are really kind: Wendy knows there is something deeply wounded about Neil, but accepts it and worries about him.

The films best scenes are the ones with Neil and Wendy in the snow and the ending scene. Gregg Araki has created a film hat leaps beyond child abuse and it becomes a brilliant film, with characters you care about and sympathise with because of what happened to them "that summer they were 8".