Movie Thoughts: Mysterious Skin

By the time I finished watching the film “Mysterious Skin” when it first dropped in 2005, I could barely pull myself from the sofa, deeply stunned by how heart wrenching its story was. It is one of the most heartbreaking films I’ve seen.

Mysterious Skin a somber narrative about the ramifications that can extend from child abuse. It genuinely shows how such circumstances cause the main character, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt to, in turn, abuse himself. In this film, Levitt really got me noticing what an incredibly gifted actor he is. He gives one of the most outstanding performances I’ve seen. To me, it’s the performance of a lifetime and shows him coming into his own skin as an actor.

The movie is pretty heavy dramatically, and will make those uncomfortable watching work dealing with child abuse to turn away from it. (The movie was almost banned in Australia). What is compelling about this movie is how convincingly it deals with the repercussions of abuse, and without desperate hyperbole. What happens to Levitt’s character actually seems more like repercussion than condemnation. It’s not judgmental or angry, only honestly affected, which I think allows the movie to be as moving as it is.