Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8561 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-03-20
• Rating: NC-17
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.com
Though the subject matter of Mysterious Skin is as sensational as that of Gregg Araki's other films (such as Totally F***ked Up, The Doom Generation, or The Living End), his direction is richer and more multilayered than ever before. Two Kansas teenagers named Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 10 Things I Hate About You) and Brian (Brady Corbett, Thirteen) share a childhood trauma--but their responses are radically different: Neil hustles tricks, while Brady, who can't remember what happened, believes he was abducted by aliens and left with "missing time." As both try to make sense of their lives and Brian struggles to find out the truth, Mysterious Skin builds to an emotional pitch that some viewers will find uncomfortable and others will find liberating. The characters of Neil and Brian have a fullness that lifts Mysterious Skin above most examinations of sexual abuse and trauma. Gordon-Levitt has been deservedly praised by the critics, but the entire cast--which also includes Bill Sage (Simple Men), Elizabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24)--turns in superb performances. A striking and powerful movie. --Bret Fetzer

From The New Yorker
The director Gregg Araki's film, based on the sensational (in every sense of the word) novel by Scott Heim, retains the lo-fi road-movie atmosphere of his previous works ("The Living End," "The Doom Generation"), but there's a heartening maturity this time around. The story concerns an adolescent hustler (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who's haunted by child abuse, and his former Little League teammate (Brady Corbet), who's attempting to find an answer to the amnesia he suffers when trying to recall a past incident. The actors capture the sad yearning of the characters, and Michelle Trachtenberg and Elisabeth Shue give strong supporting performances. Although this is Araki's best work, the film is finally too dreamy to dramatize the urgent storytelling of the novel. It drifts with an on-the-road aimlessness, losing its initial sexy, dark power. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

mysterious skin
'Mysterious Skin' definitely tackles a wallop of a subject, and in doing so, it fearlessly portaits an utterly heart-breaking, though moving, and quiete often disturbing story that is ultimately powerful, and yes, mysterious.

The story is about two 18 year old boys, Neil and Brian, who were victims of sexual abuse 10 years ago by their little league coach (Bill Sage). The film focuses on each boy as Brian desperately tries to remember what happened to him while the other, Neil, can't forget. In Brian's search for answers, he comes across Neil in a group picture from their little league team whom he believes has the answer to what Brian calls his "lost time".

Directed by Greg Araki (who also adapted it from Scott Heim's novel of the same name), I expected something pretty sensational, even exploitative considering Araki's previous work. However, I was extremely impressed to see that Araki's direction and writing had really matured. The film was focused, complete, and controlled. In other words, it felt like I was watching something a vetran filmmaker had directed which is quite an accomplishment. Even with a small budget, the film never felt cheap or badly made. Araki uses many interesting camera tricks and placement that really make the film feel fresh and new.

The acting, especially from the film's two leads, is fantastic! Joseph Gorden-Levitt really proves he has some serious acting chops. Brady Corbet is equally wonderful but this is Levitt's moment. The suppoting cast is also great and, well, supportive.

It's no surprise that in dealing with this tough subject matter that the view will experience some difficult scenes to digest. However, rest assured, none are exploitative nor are they sensationalized. They are delt very delicately with and are there for a purpose. In fact, many of the unsettling scenes are remarkably powerful and leave the viewer an indelible impression. You won't soon forget about 'Mysterious Skin' for quite some time.

Mysterious Skin
I believe of all the gay films I have watched over the years, this rates as one of the top 5. I watch this film over and over again. I just purchased one for some friends of mine. It is a story, not just sex.

Overwhelmingly disturbing.
From the trailer, I thought Mysterious Skin would act as an ample morsel in my dietary "artsy-fartsy film" plan. What I received in return was a film that documents the bitter residual effect of child molestation, and one that inflicts far too emotional pain in the viewer. One could argue that it's done in a tasteful way, as was the way the film was described to me by a clerk at Blockbuster (who was quite cryptic on the subject matter before I rented the film), but I would have to disagree. 'Mysterious Skin' boorishly attacks us with flashbacks that, while not overly graphic, do enough to the viewer to leave you asking, "Why did I rent this again?" This was certainly the case with my friends and I, who could do nothing more than shake our heads as we fast-forwarded through gratuitous nonsensically graphic scenes that could have been left out of the film completely while still accomplishing the goal of the director. There are some seriously hard-to-take portions of film and it often seems like the director is attempting to force-feed us the horrors that child-abuse will produce down the line.

The plot is based on two young men who are dealing with their shared pasts in different ways. One thinks he was abducted by aliens while the other still has a psychological bond with the man who took advantage of him. Both end up confronting each other as they confront their tragic past and form a common union that will eventually help lead to their healing.

There are plenty of films out there that are of high quality work, and Mysterious Skin is well-made on the art front, but the theme is far too strong for most to deal with, especially if you have experienced the trauma that comes with child-abuse. A solid soundtrack by Robin Gutherie adds to the desired ambiance, but is not enough to make this any type of film I would recommend.