Mysterious Skin

At the age of eight, Kansas youngsters Neil and Brian played on the same little league baseball team. Now, ten years later, the two boys couldn’t be more different. Neil is a charismatic but emotionally aloof male hustler, while Brian is a nervous introvert obsessed with the idea that he has been abducted by a UFO.

When the boys’ parallel lives inevitably intersect, the pair unearth dark, repressed secrets on a harrowing and unforgettable journey of self-discovery.

Adolescence is not a period of innocence or rebellion but as a landscape of confusion, desire, fantasy, and profound vulnerability. Gregg Araki’s talent for finding beauty in such an emotionally fractured world made him a reference for many. His sensitivity, paired with formal command, always made his films appealing while feeling… dangerous.

Mysterious Skin, based on Scott Heim’s novel, is regarded as one of Gregg Araki’s most emotionally challenging and significant films.

CIFF invites you to discover this superb 4K restoration in Irish premiere.