WARNING: If you are easily offended this film is definitely not for you!!

"Mysterious Skin" was a really tough film to sit through. However, Gregg Araki once again fascinates me in his use of cinema. Araki and Scott Heim wrote a story that brutally honest captures the idea that we cannot escape traumas and once we experience catastrophic and heartrending sudden events, it will follow us all our lives and shape who we grow up to be as individuals, wether that be in a bad or good way. No matter how hard we try to block things out of our lives, they will still be there locked up in the back of our minds. It is hard to never not live tragic events, unfortunately. And this film demonstrates that harshly through child abuse and rape, and eventually teenage prostitution. It is fucking excruciating.

That being said, I don’t know if I could re-watch this movie ever again, despite how captivating and absolutely powerful it was in it’s authenticity. It is too damn harsh.