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Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Araki's best film in a long time. Read more
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Gone is the gloomy nihilism of The Doom Generation and The Living End, replaced by a melancholy, but hopeful, affection toward people with the capacity to overcome tremendous psychological trauma. Read more
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: Even though it takes you to places you may not want to go, the film never loses its human touch -- that feel of skin on skin or of the past inescapably invading the present. Read more
John Hartl, Seattle Times: Of all the recent films about child abuse, Mysterious Skin stands out as the one that most directly and eloquently addresses the emotional toll of the experience. Read more
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: This is a serious piece of work that's even better the next day. Read more
David Edelstein, Slate: Beyond Gordon-Levitt's revelatory work, Mysterious Skin features intense but gorgeously restrained performances by Corbet, Shue, Jeffrey Licon as Neil's effeminate pal, Ellison and George Webster as the boys, and Michelle Trachtenberg. Read more
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: This is the film that really sticks with you after you seen it. Read more
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: The audience has gotten the point roughly 90 minutes before the characters do. Read more
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: The usual Araki elements are here (hustlers, rebels, uproar, the absurd), but now he appears to be working with focus and compassion. Read more
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: It's hard to imagine a more serious or persuasive indictment of the horrors inflicted on children by sexual abuse. Read more
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: You're likely to be bruised by its truths. To his credit, Araki has made that a risk well worth taking. Read more
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Mysterious Skin dawdles more than it flows, but it comes alive whenever Araki, hovering between tragedy and voyeurism, reveals how sex can tear lives to pieces. Read more
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: This is a challenging and ultimately moving film that deserves to find a like-minded audience. Read more
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: A warped, but beautiful and strangely hopeful, coming-of-age tale about two young men struggling to overcome childhood scars. Read more
John Anderson, Newsday: Araki has put a protective, shimmering patina on a story of abuse and emotional dissonance and the result is an otherworldly, painfully honest movie. Read more
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News: A well-conceived story that is very hard to shake. Read more
A.O. Scott, New York Times: Mysterious Skin is infused with remarkable tenderness and beauty. Read more
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: The adult Neil is ably incarnated by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the same is true of Brady Corbet as the grown-up Brian. Read more
Rex Reed, New York Observer: This is like Almodovar, with a tarnished American flag in his hand: controversial, illuminating, deeply affecting and highly recommended. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: A complex and challenging emotional experience. Read more
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: By the time the climactic revelation finally comes, it's such old news that all the scenery chewing that accompanies it seems alien. Read more
Leah McLaren, Globe and Mail: It's a film that deals with childhood sexual abuse in an original and dry-eyed manner rarely seen in our culture today. Read more
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: As tough as it is to take in, and perhaps even tougher to contemplate, Mysterious Skin demands serious consideration and appreciation for Araki's evident maturity. He's a grown-up, finally. Read more
David Rooney, Variety: Gregg Araki delivers his most challenging and arguably most mature film. Read more
Dennis Lim, Village Voice: As a filmmaker, Araki, always brash, has rarely been so confident, creating a shimmering mood that allows for multiple shifts in perspective and register. Read more
Desson Thomson, Washington Post: While watching this movie, I scribbled the word 'whoa' five times into my notebook. Read more
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: There is a terrible, terrifying honesty at the core of Mysterious Skin that will make it chillingly recognizable to some viewers and important to recognize for others. Read more