Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2004)

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)