Mysterious Skin tells the story of two quite dissimilar boys, both embarking upon adulthood in a typically middle-class part of America.

Set in Kansas, we are firstly introduced to Brian (Brady Corbet), a shy introvert obsessed by the notion that, as a child, he was abducted by aliens.

Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is the ultimate beautiful outsider, cynical and harsh who sexualises his every encounter in the small town, hiding behind an icy façade.

As each follows his own journey - Brian's in the direction of a fellow "abductee" and a dismembered cow, Neil's to the exciting and ultimately dangerous life of a gay New York hustler - they try to come to terms with the event that has traumatized their current lives and that, to their surprise, unites them in desperate pain.

Once the events of the past have been understood the resulting release is both emotional and powerful.

The film closes by highlighting the very core of the subject matter; how two sexually harmed young men begin the process of healing themselves.

Aside from a couple of questionable female roles - Michelle Trachtenberg's overly concerned and slightly hammy best friend, and the stereotypical gay friend in wacky garb - Gregg Araki succeeds at depicting a deeply provocative story without falling into the trap of sanitising the controversial issues he deals with.

Vickie Juett