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Mysterious Skin

(Gregg Araki, 2004)

New Restoration

Three young people lean out of a car window.

Gregg Araki's devastating and unflinching shoegaze-y queer vision is newly restored in 4K.

Mysterious Skin follows the lives of two young men from Kansas who share a terrible history that propels each of them down very different paths. Brian (Brady Corbet) explores an alien abduction as an explanation for gaps in his memory, while Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) travels down a darker road. Roger Ebert described the film upon its release as the most harrowing and, strangely, the most touching film I have seen about child abuse.Adapted from Scott Heim’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Mysterious Skin features raw and visceral performances from Gordon-Levitt, Corbet, and Michelle Trachtenberg. The film features music by shoegaze bands Slowdive, Ride, and Curve and an original soundtrack by Harold Budd and the Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie. (105 mins., 4K DCP)

Please note: Mysterious Skin contains scenes of sexual violence and child abuse.

See the complete Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION
Mysterious Skin, courtesy of Strand Releasing.

"My goal with the movie was really to just devastate people."

In the press

Program Support

Presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque.

SUPPORT FOR FILM PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY

Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY

Greater Columbus Arts Council

The Wexner Family

Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts

CampusParc

The Columbus Foundation

Every Page Foundation

Mellon Foundation

Axium Packaging

Nationwide Foundation

Michael and Anita Goldberg

Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease, LLP

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

Joyce Shenk

Rebecca Perry and Ben Towle

Lachelle Thigpen

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Mysterious Skin