Mysterious Skin

Mysterious Skin
Mysterious Skin
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gregg Araki
Screenplay by	Gregg Araki
Based on	Mysterious Skin; by Scott Heim
Produced by	Gregg Araki
Starring	Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Brady Corbet; Michelle Trachtenberg; Jeff Licon; Bill Sage; Mary Lynn Rajskub; Elisabeth Shue;
Cinematography	Steve Gainer
Edited by	Gregg Araki
Music by	Harold Budd; Robin Guthrie;
Production; companies	Fortissimo Films; Antidote Films; Desperate Pictures;
Distributed by	Tartan Films (United Kingdom); TLA Releasing (United States); 1More Film (Netherlands);
Release dates	September 3, 2004 (Venice); May 6, 2005 (United States); May 25, 2005 (Netherlands);
Running time	105 minutes
Countries	United States; Netherlands;
Language	English
Box office	$2.1 million

Mysterious Skin is a 2004 coming-of-age drama film written, produced, and directed by Gregg Araki, adapted from Scott Heim's 1995 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of two pre-adolescent boys who both experienced sexual abuse as children, and how it affects their lives in different ways into their young adulthood. One boy becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous sex worker (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), while the other (Brady Corbet) retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.

Mysterious Skin premiered at the 61st Venice International Film Festival in September 2004, moving into wider distribution in May 2005 without a rating. It grossed $2.1 million at the box office and received critical acclaim. Psychologists have praised Mysterious Skin for its accurate depiction of the long-term effects of child sex abuse.