Despite generally positive reviews and selection in the 1994 Venice Film Festival , '' Metal Skin '' proved a disappointment at the Australian box office when it was released on 4 May 1995 where it grossed $ 883,521 . Australian critic Andrew Howe praised it as " a dark , arresting ode to suburban hopelessness " however Todd McCarthy writing in '' Variety '' described the film as " so overwrought and unrelievedly grim that it comes close to playing like a parody of teenage angst movies . " It won AFI Awards in 1995 for Best Production Design ( Steven Jones – Evans ) and Best Sound ( Frank Lipson , David Lee , Steve Burgess , Peter Burgess , Glenn Newnham ) and received nominations for Best Actor ( Aden Young ) , Supporting Actor ( Ben Mendelsohn ) , Supporting Actress ( Nadine Garner ) and Costume Design ( Anna Borghesi ) . Aden Young and Ben Mendelsohn shared the Film Critics Circle of Australia prize for Best Actor
1994 Venice Film Festival
51st Venice International Film Festival
Metal Skin