MYSTERIOUS SKIN is a pretty strong film that tells the tale of two youths, both of whom have to grow up with a secret that has changed their lives. The boys know each other only peripherally, but their lives converge when one of the youths seeks answers that only the other can answer.<br /><br />The film begins with some background on Neil and Brian - two young boys in a small mid-western town. Neil is molested by his baseball coach, and Brian has unexplainable black-outs and nosebleeds that he believes were caused by alien-abduction. The two boys don't know each other socially, and their only "connection" was that they both played on the same baseball team - or so we think. As the boys grow older, their lives take drastically different paths - Brian becomes a male prostitute and eventually moves to New York City, and Brian remains in his small town, nerdish and constantly searching for proof of his alien-abduction theory. Brian eventually begins to feel that he and Neil are somehow more deeply connected, and goes in search of him, only to find that he's moved away - But when Neil comes back over the Christmas holiday, Brian will learn all the answers he needed to know - which may prove far worse than his initial UFO theories...<br /><br />MYSTERIOUS SKIN is a harsh film about strong subject matter. It is not "pretty" or "glamorized", so those looking for happy-ending Hollywood garbage should probably steer clear. That said, the themes and scenes are handled tactfully, even when portraying some truly horrifying events. I personally don't feel that the film ever crossed the line into becoming exploitative or gratuitous - instead opting for a realistic and confrontational yet "respectful" approach. The acting is top-notch by all involved, and features some good cameos and supporting roles from Elisabeth Shue, Billy Drago (in a very small role), and the "Jump-To-Conclusions" doormat guy from OFFICE SPACE (in one of the more harrowing scenes in the film). MYSTERIOUS SKIN is a starkly beautiful film that will not appeal to all tastes, but if dark, thought-provoking cinema is your thing, you'll probably dig it...8.5/10