Mysterious Skin (2004)

I’m not sure where I first heard of Mysterious Skin. Perhaps it was as a trailer before another film, or perhaps it was recommended by someone. Whatever the reason, this film ended up on my ‘to watch’ list before I really knew much about it.

It’s about two boys, Neil and Brian, who are sexually abused by their baseball coach as children. This has left different effects on them as young adults. Brian, who cannot account for large periods of time from that period, begins to believe that he was abducted by aliens and begins a correspondence with local alien-enthusiast Avalyn. Neil on the other hand is gay and considers it part of his sexual awakening along with reading his mother’s Playgirls and fantasising about her boyfriends. He resorts to prostitution throughout his adolescence to satisfy his sexual compulsion.

I was surprised to see so many familiar faces in this film. Mysterious Skin stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 things I hate about you, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), and Michelle Trachtenberg (Eurotrip, Gossip Girl, Buffy). Another main character is played by Brady Corbet – a guy that I couldn’t pick out of a crowd but who has apparently been in three other films that I’ve seen this year (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Melancholia, and Thirteen) as well as a series of 24. He must be rather forgettable; he certainly didn’t leave any greater impression this time round. It’s a shame because he’s a good actor, and actually rather handsome when you come to look at him. I’ll try to pay better attention next time. His most recent film is called Simon Killer. No idea what it’s about but maybe I’ll give that a go and try to concentrate on him more. Maybe I won’t bother.

Perhaps I found him negligible because I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And Michelle Trachtenberg too come to mention it. Other actors do tend to get ignored if they’re on screen. And they’re very good – their relationship in Mysterious Skin, that of an old, comfortable friendship, felt real and believable. The whole film is rather slowly paced and was a nice easy film to watch. Despite the difficult themes of paedophilia, prostitution, and drugs, it wasn't difficult to watch. There’s only one bit where I winced.

I really want to watch this film again at some point, so I’m probably going to actually go to the effort of buying it, something which almost never happens these days. It might just prove one of my solid go-to films.