Araki's adaptation of Scott Heim's novel pairs a teenage hustler played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt with a UFO-obsessed loner played by Brady Corbet, both orbiting the same buried Kansas summer, scored by Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd. The new 4K restoration puts that hazy, cotton-candy palette back on a real screen, and Araki stays afterward to take questions. If you have only ever streamed it, this is the room it was built for.
What to expect
A full house in IFC's below-street screens, then Araki at the front for an audience Q&A that runs as long as the questions hold up. The restoration is sourced from the original negative, so the soft neon look reads far richer than any streaming copy. Expect a crowd that skews cinephile and knows every dream-pop cue by heart.
Good to know
- IFC Center sits at West 4th Street and Sixth Avenue — the A/C/E/B/D/F/M at West 4th drops you at the door.
- Q&A screenings here sell out well ahead; book online rather than counting on the box office.
- The film deals frankly with child sexual abuse, so go in prepared — it is not a casual date-night pick.
- Seating is reserved, so pick your row when you book instead of arriving early to camp.
- Araki's early feature Three Bewildered People in the Night screens the same day with his introduction if you want the double bill.
- Concessions are minimal — eat on Bleecker or Cornelia Street beforehand.
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Common questions
Is Gregg Araki really there in person?
Yes. IFC Center lists a post-screening Q&A with the director following the 2:05 show, plus his introduction to Three Bewildered People in the Night later the same day.
Do I need to have seen Araki's other films first?
No. Mysterious Skin stands entirely alone and is the most accessible thing he has made; the Teen Apocalypse trilogy is a separate rabbit hole for later.
How long should I block out?
The film runs about 105 minutes, and a director Q&A typically adds another twenty to thirty minutes on top.
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