Did any victims/survivors watch this?

I did finally watch it. Had my moment of 'discovery' 6 months ago. Throughout the film I cringed and felt disgusted but i got through the movie without breaking down. Now I feel empty and...hope you will have it better in life. I feel like my soul has been corrupted and I am doomed forever.

Take care.

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Well, first off, thanks for the answer; at least you tried, unlike the guy above. In regards to the first point, the film depicted the fisting act and Neil was doing it voluntarily and having fun. The man didn't force the kids to do anything and was very kind to them, so there would be no reason for them to feel threatened if they'd refused to perform the acts. Also, in RL scenarios oral sex is the most preferred act, and kids are used to sucking since birth. And if it's done to them, no harm done either, as even a 5 year old can enjoy some oral action down there.

As for anal, that is a whole different beast, and so are toddlers who can't even talk or remember what happened; of COURSE there is nothing even remotely close to consent possible. But that's irrelevant here because, the film depicted 8 year old boys, and most of the abused people IRL are also able to walk and talk by the time it's happened to them.

And I don't know why you would state I'm angry, just because I'm ignorant of the deep intricacies of psychosexual development. I'm a very calm person.

And don't waste time reading this line, it's just my pointless signature.

I was molested, not anything like in the movie but I had to live with my molester for 4 more years before he finally died of cancer.

The ending got to me more than any other scenes in the movie. It left me shaking, feeling sick, stomach in knots and just want to break down with hard crying. I can't remember any movies that effected me more than this one. I hope anyone that has been through sexual abuse will be careful about watching this, especially if it's something you've not yet dealt with, I think you should be aware that this will bring up feelings you've not felt in years.

It seems I'm one of the few people to have read the book before watching the movie, but yes, I'm a survivor and the story still has an incredible effect on me. I don't care much for the movie, but the book is one of my all-time favorites and it never fails to make me feel sick with empathy and strangely comforted at the same time. I can relate to keeping such a damaging secret to myself for a very long time, and also with repressing the memories to the extent where I didn't even believe it happened and thought I was crazy.

It's the very end of the movie and the credits - with that absolutely beautiful and haunting Sigur Ros song - that make me sob though. The sense that though the narrative is ending, the pain and recovery of these two characters will continue throughout the rest of their lives... it's quite an emotional punch.

I am a middle aged male who was abused from ages ten to fifteen and just heard of this movie today when looking at movie reviews for the LGBT communities. I can appreciate movies that offer characters who stories I can relate to. In the LGBT genre there are far too many comedies making homosexuals out to be those who are laughed at and bullied because the true emotions of the characters are never seen. I've cried many tears in my life over my helplessness as a survivor of abuse, bullied because of my differences, and ridiculed by classmates, strangers and even my own parents and family. I wish there were more dramatic movies like "Mysterious Skin" out there and more awareness to them. Statistics indicate that one in six boys will experience some form of sexual abuse by age 18 and the ratio is one in three to four for females. That, in my opinion, makes it an epidemic! Back in my day there were no resources for help like there is today as a result of the internet with various Facebook and website support groups. The ability to talk to others who have experienced similar experiences can offer a form of healing journey that silence cannot. For most of my life, I felt that I was the ONLY "survivor" of sexual abuse in the universe because it was never spoken about. It could not be discussed then like it can today. If you are in an abusive situation or was, now is the time to speak up and get help with those emotions. You can see how the characters in this movie chose two different paths... one who could not remember and one who could not forget. There are people out there you can trust with your secret and that will understand you. I would like to see more movies like this one to help survivors realize that they are not alone and to maybe educate others that a one in six or one in four ratio for abuse victims is unacceptable. I wish Brian and Neil a lifetime of good wishes. Even though they are movie characters, they are still "real" people with "real" stories. I can attest to that.

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