Mysterious Skin

What’s it about?

Years after experiencing a strange event together as young boys, two men reunite. One has become a reckless, sexually adventurous prostitute, while the other has retreated into a solitary fantasy of alien abduction. 

The facts

• Directed by Gregg Araki
• Starring Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Elisabeth Shue.
• English language
• Runtime: 105 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Sexual abuse and violence themes

This film contains graphic and disturbing depictions of child sexual abuse and molestation, including anal sex. The rape, and the beatings afterwards, are likely to be upsetting and shocking for viewers, especially those affected by sexual violence.

Two boys masturbate together, and their ejaculate is shown on the bed sheet.

A man makes two eight-year-old boys perform various sexual acts, including fisting him. Nothing sexual is shown onscreen between the two boys and it is mostly depicted through narration, however there are some random shots above the waist.

There is one disturbing and prolonged scene where a teenage boy is violently raped by a man. He is forced to do drugs before being forced to perform oral sex on the man. He tries to get away, but it brought into the bathroom and raped. This scene goes on for 2 or so minutes, before we hear the man finishing.

One young boy watches his mother and her lover have sex. There is a shot of the boy’s face as the boy talks about how he masturbated and had an orgasm while watching them.

A young man and an older man meet in a motel room to have sex. The older man performs oral sex on the younger man, and though their faces are the only things visible in this scene, we can hear graphic sucking, gargling, and choking sounds as the younger man climaxes in the older man’s mouth.

Violence and content that may disturb

A woman shows a teenage boy a dead cow and encourages him to put his hand inside its genitals.

One young boy puts fireworks in another boy’s mouth and lights them. They shoot up in the air and the boy’s mouth is later seen bloody and cut up.

Some characters watch a violent zombie horror film on television. Although the film is black and white, we can see a man being violently ripped apart by zombies with blood and gore.

Drug use and abuse

Many scenes depict characters, including teenagers, smoking and drinking.

A teenager often abuses drugs and is seen taking LSD and smoking marijuana. In one scene, a man snorts cocaine and forces a teenage boy to do the same.

Offensive language 

This film contains frequent use of offensive language, with words like “f**k,” “sh*t,” “sl*t,” “f*ggot,” and “retard.”

Helplines:

Themes such as sexual violence and drug abuse could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen, please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters