Mysterious Skin (2005)
Kernel Score: 85% · 1,235 ratings · Rated NR
Genres: Drama
Released: 2005-03-30
Runtime: 105 minutes
Where to watch Mysterious Skin
- Rent: Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy: Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango At Home
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
Mysterious Skin parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that Mysterious Skin is an unrated drama dealing directly with child sexual abuse, male prostitution, and trauma.
- Violence & scariness: Moderate — Depicts psychological and physical trauma stemming from abuse.
- Sex, romance & nudity: Intense — Explicit themes of child sexual abuse, male prostitution, and related trauma central to the plot.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official NR rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Mysterious Skin
If you liked Mysterious Skin, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Midnight Cowboy (1969) — 85%
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- Hope (2013) — 93%
- Miss Violence (2013) — 78%
- Natural Born Killers (1994) — 80%
- By the Grace of God (2019) — 78%
- Revoir Paris (2022) — 77%
- My Own Private Idaho (1991) — 79%
Director
Gregg Araki
Cast
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Neil McCormick
- Brady Corbet as Brian Lackey
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Wendy Peterson
- Jeffrey Licon as Eric Preston
- Mary Lynn Rajskub as Avalyn Friesen
- Elisabeth Shue as Mrs. McCormick
- Lisa Long as Mrs. Lackey
- Bill Sage as Coach
- Chase Ellison as Neil (Age 8)
- George Webster as Brian (Age 8)
Mysterious Skin FAQ
Is Mysterious Skin good?
Mysterious Skin has an 85% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 1,235 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Mysterious Skin?
In the US you can rent it from Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango At Home.
Is Mysterious Skin OK for kids?
Mysterious Skin is rated NR. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that Mysterious Skin is an unrated drama dealing directly with child sexual abuse, male prostitution, and trauma.
What movies are like Mysterious Skin?
If you liked Mysterious Skin, try Midnight Cowboy, Stuart: A Life Backwards, Hope and Miss Violence.