Though the subject matter of Mysterious Skin is as sensational as that of Gregg Araki's other films (such as Totally F***ked Up; The Doom Generation; or The Living End); his direction is richer and more multilayered than ever before. Two Kansas teenagers named Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt; 10 Things I Hate About You) and Brian (Brady Corbett; Thirteen) share a childhood trauma--but their responses are radically different: Neil hustles tricks; while Brady; who can't remember what happened; believes he was abducted by aliens and left with "missing time." As both try to make sense of their lives and Brian struggles to find out the truth; Mysterious Skin builds to an emotional pitch that some viewers will find uncomfortable and others will find liberating. The characters of Neil and Brian have a fullness that lifts Mysterious Skin above most examinations of sexual abuse and trauma. Gordon-Levitt has been deservedly praised by the critics; but the entire cast--which also includes Bill Sage (Simple Men); Elizabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas); Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer); and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24)--turns in superb performances. A striking and powerful movie. --Bret Fetzer