Mysterious Skin
“Two boys. One can't remember. The other can't forget.”
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
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Your review
Cast
29 people
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Neil McCormick
Known for
Inception
(500) Days of Summer
Brady Corbet
Brian Lackey
Known for
Olive Kitteridge
Funny Games
Michelle Trachtenberg
Wendy Peterson
Known for
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
17 Again
Jeffrey Licon
Eric Preston
Known for
Joan of Arcadia
Alien Raiders
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Avalyn Friesen
Known for
24
The Dropout
Elisabeth Shue
Mrs. McCormick
Known for
The Boys
Back to the Future Part II
Lisa Long
Mrs. Lackey
Known for
Christmas Mail
Bill Sage
Coach
Known for
American Psycho
We Are What We Are
Chase Ellison
Neil (Age 8)
Known for
That's What I Am
Tooth Fairy
George Webster
Brian (Age 8)
Riley McGuire
Wendy (Age 11)
Rachael Nastassja Kraft
Deborah (Age 12)
No other roles listed
Gregg Araki Director · Scott Heim Author Harold Budd Composer
Worldwide gross $2.1M · Budget $3M · United States release May 6, 2005
Box office
Budget
$3,000,000
Worldwide gross
$2,148,548
Gross vs. budget
0.7×
Production
Desperate Pictures
Production
Fortissimo Films
Production
Antidote Films
Production
Next Wednesday Productions
Production
TLA Releasing
Production
United States · Netherlands
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Italy · September 3, 2004
Premiere · Venice Film Festival
United States · May 6, 2005
Limited theatrical
United States
January 28, 2005 · Premiere · Sundance Film Festival
April 23, 2005 · Premiere · Independent Film Festival of Boston / Tribeca Film Festival / USA Film Festival
April 25, 2005 · Premiere · Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
June 2, 2005 · Premiere · Seattle International Film Festival
June 24, 2005 · Theatrical
September 19, 2025 · Premiere · Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
January 28, 2026 · Premiere · Sundance Film Festival
August 14, 2026 · Limited theatrical · Re-release
Argentina
March 11, 2005 · Premiere · Mar del Plata Film Festival
Australia
August 18, 2005 · Theatrical
Belgium
April 26, 2005 · Theatrical
Brazil
September 30, 2005 · Premiere · Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival
October 31, 2005 · Premiere · São Paulo International Film Festival
December 9, 2005 · Theatrical · São Paulo
January 20, 2006 · Physical · DVD
Canada
September 13, 2004 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
Czechia
March 27, 2009 · Digital
Denmark
September 14, 2005 · Premiere · Buster Children’s Film Festival
October 24, 2005 · Premiere · Copenhagen Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
June 15, 2007 · Theatrical
Ecuador
March 14, 2021 · Physical · DVD
Finland
May 1, 2007 · TV
France
March 18, 2005 · Premiere · Itinérances Film Festival
March 30, 2005 · Theatrical
September 1, 2010 · Premiere · Deauville American Film Festival
Germany
August 25, 2006 · Physical · DVD
Greece
May 13, 2005 · Theatrical
Hong Kong SAR China
November 25, 2004 · Premiere · Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Hungary
March 31, 2006 · Digital
Iceland
March 22, 2006 · Premiere · Reykjavik Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
March 15, 2007 · Premiere · Video on Demand Film Festival
Ireland
February 15, 2005 · Premiere · Dublin Film Festival
May 20, 2005 · Theatrical
Israel
August 21, 2020 · Physical · Blu-ray
Italy
June 3, 2005 · Theatrical
Japan
July 18, 2005 · Premiere · Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
April 24, 2026 · Theatrical
Mexico
August 25, 2005 · Theatrical
Netherlands
August 25, 2005 · Theatrical
November 22, 2005 · Physical
New Zealand
August 2, 2026 · Premiere · New Zealand International Film Festival
Norway
November 25, 2004 · Premiere · Oslo International Film Festival
Philippines
October 25, 2005 · Physical
Poland
July 24, 2005 · Premiere · ERA New Horizons Film Festival
Portugal
August 23, 2007 · Theatrical
Romania
May 6, 2006 · Physical
Russia
May 26, 2005 · Limited theatrical
Singapore
July 21, 2005 · Theatrical
South Korea
November 23, 2017 · Theatrical
Spain
November 28, 2004 · Premiere · Gijón International Film Festival
January 26, 2007 · Limited theatrical · Barcelona
Sweden
August 5, 2005 · Theatrical
Switzerland
November 24, 2005 · Digital
Thailand
May 26, 2005 · Limited theatrical
United Kingdom
May 20, 2005 · Theatrical
March 25, 2026 · Premiere · BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
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