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MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Mysterious Skin
"Two boys. One can't remember. The other can't forget."
2005 1h 45m EN
🙌
7.7
BANGER
★7.7TMDB · 1,381
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
“Two boys. One can't remember. The other can't forget.”
Cast
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Neil McCormick
Brady Corbet
Brian Lackey
Michelle Trachtenberg
Wendy Peterson
Jeffrey Licon
Eric Preston
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Avalyn Friesen
Elisabeth Shue
Mrs. McCormick
Lisa Long
Mrs. Lackey
Bill Sage
Coach
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Gregg Araki
- Writers
- Gregg Araki
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America, Netherlands
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 72% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 21 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Netherlands.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Gregg Araki, shot by Steve Gainer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Original score by Harold Budd. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Gregg Araki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet and Michelle Trachtenberg carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Gregg Araki directs. Steve Gainer behind the camera. Harold Budd scores. Gregg Araki cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, Netherlands. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 2Earned back only 72% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 3Released 21 years ago.
- 4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Netherlands.
- 5Directed by Gregg Araki, shot by Steve Gainer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Harold Budd. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Gregg Araki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet and Michelle Trachtenberg carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "Two boys. One can't remember. The other can't forget.".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0370986 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 33 themes, including "pedophilia", "new york city", "child abuse", "amnesia".
- 12Released under 23 different titles around the world.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Steve Gainer
- Original score
- Harold Budd
- Editing
- Gregg Araki
- Production design
- Devorah Herbert
- Costume design
- Alix Hester
- Makeup / hair
- Fleur Morell
- VFX supervisor
- Mark Driscoll
- Sound
- Kelly Vandever
- Stunt coordinator
- Lou Simon
- Runtime
- 105 min · 1h 45m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $3,000,000
- Box office
- $2,148,548
- Return
- 72% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
Also by
Gregg Araki
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- kinrich30★ 5/10
This is the tale of two teens who were sexually abused as boys and how each of them coped with that over the years that followed. It was sad to see how badly it damaged them mentally.
Production companies
Who made it
Desperate Pictures
US
Fortissimo Films
NL
- AN
Antidote Films
US
- NE
Next Wednesday Productions
Key crew
- NovelScott Heim
- Executive ProducerMichael J. Werner
- ProducerGregg Araki
- Executive ProducerWouter Barendrecht
- ProducerJeffrey Kusama-Hinte
- EditorGregg Araki
- ProducerMary Jane Skalski
- Art DirectionMorgan Blackledge
- Visual Effects SupervisorMark Driscoll
- Makeup Department HeadFleur Morell
- Supervising Sound EditorTrip Brock
- Sound Effects EditorSteven Avila
- Visual Effects SupervisorHenrik Fett
- Co-ProducerHans Ritter
- HairstylistNicole Le Bris
- Production SupervisorLisa Looney
- Key Hair StylistMichelle Rene Elam
- Art Department TraineeSally Geier
- LeadmanRob Henning
- Second Second Assistant DirectorGavin Kleintop
- Art Department TraineeJennifer Ireland
- Assistant Property MasterJonathan Dortch
- Post Production SupervisorBeau J. Genot
- Art Department TraineeShannon Cabeen
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- pedophilia
- new york city
- child abuse
- amnesia
- rape
- post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
- based on novel or book
- trainer
- hustler
- trauma
- kansas, usa
- coming of age
- male homosexuality
- male prostitution
- ejaculation
- alien abduction
- prostitution
- lgbt
- buried memories
- child molestation
- repressed memory
- childhood sexual abuse
- sexual assault
- 1980s
- 1990s
- loss of innocence
- repressed trauma
- gay theme
- hiv/aids epidemic
- child sexual abuse
- nose bleeding
- male rape
- gay bar
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2005-01-28· Sundance Film Festival
- Premiere2005-04-25· Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
- Premiere2005-04-23· Independent Film Festival of Boston / Tribeca Film Festival / USA Film Festival
- Premiere2005-06-02· Seattle International Film Festival
- Premiere2025-09-19NR· Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Premiere2026-01-28· Sundance Film Festival
- Theatrical (limited)2005-05-06NR
- Theatrical (limited)2026-08-14NR· Re-release
- Theatrical2005-06-24NR
Also known as
International titles
- Загадочная кожаRU
- 神秘肌膚TW
- Mysterious Skin - Unter die HautDE
- Oscura inocencia (Piel misteriosa)ES
- 미스테리어스 스킨KR
- 謎めいた肌JP
- ミステリアス・スキンJP
- Piel misteriosaMX
- Piel misteriosaAR
- Mistérios da CarneBR
- Тайнствена кожаBG
- Souvenirs dans la peauCA
- U nepoznatoj kožiHR
- Anoihti pligiGR
- Ανοιχτή πληγήGR
