mysterious skin yap

Dear reader,

I think it goes without saying that I really love Mysterious Skin. There are many medias that make me less alone in life, knowing that somebody out there could creatively construe such a masterpiece that perfectly encapsulates my struggles, and knowing that there are so many others who experience that twisted sense of comfort stemming from relatability, and for me Mysterious Skin hits the hardest in that regard. Both the book written by Scott Heim, and the indie film adaptation created by Gregg Araki.

I am going to be discussing the differences between the book and movie counterparts that I can recall from the top of my head, as I find that the book is incredibly underrated compared to the movie. I believe that the movie’s narrative focuses primarily on Neil and Brian, whereas the book has chapters in the majority of the character’s perspectives. I adore this format, as it really brings a full picture to everything that occurs.

For those who are unaware of Mysterious Skin, I wouldn’t recommend reading this blog any further than this prior to looking into the subjects discussed in the plot. I hate to be a spoiler, and I’d hate to cause any unnecessary distress as the storyline is very heavy and impactful from many different angles.

Without further ado, here is my list of distinctions between the book and movie that I find particularly interesting. (This will not be in chronological order)

• Due to the timeline of the book, Neil, Eric, and Wendy are not a trio. Eric and Wendy never even cross paths because Eric moves from Modesto to Hutchinson around the time that Wendy moves away to New York.
• We get a lot more insight into Brian, Eric and Wendy’s upbringing:
• Alongside the constant fighting from his parents, Brian is physically and verbally abused by his father prior to his father’s abandonment towards his family, it is suggested that Brian’s father may have had an idea of what Coach Heider did to Brian but pushed it aside.
• Eric’s moved to Hutchinson to live with his Grandma after both his parents had died in a car crash in which he was the sole survivor. Eric’s past gives his dynamic with Neil’s mom more depth, as she is shown to take him under her wing in an almost maternal way.
• Wendy lives as an older sister amongst numerous younger siblings who her single mother seems to be mostly occupied with. Her personality is different than her movie counterpart, as in the book she is portrayed to be a homicidal metalhead with an adoration for the occult and true crime. 
• Not much is known about Neil’s father, as Neil is an unreliable narrator who seems to tell a different story each time he’s asked of it. As far as I’m aware, the truth is that his father fled and died before Neil was born, which Neil doesn’t care about.
• As I already highlighted in my earlier paragraphs, we get a much more wholehearted perspective on the full picture, with chapters in different perspectives. This means that we get to see a lot more of Brian’s journey of dissecting the layers of his childhood trauma, his process with this begins after the assault he goes through by the hands of Avalyn.
• Speaking of Avalyn, she is portrayed to be a lot more predatory and creepy in the book (If that’s even possible) compared to the movie. Despite her juvenile appearance and demeanour in the movie, she is actually a fully grown adult, approximately in her 30s, with Brian still being a teenager. Her intent with Brian is a lot more blatantly predatory, and I strongly feel as if this is commonly overlooked.
• In the Highschool timeline, Eric and Neil have a situationship. Though in the movie a crush is only briefly established, in the book there is a messy pursuit though they realise they are ultimately better off as friends as it seemed mostly one-sided. Neil is mainly in it for the sex, whereas Eric yearns for a genuine romantic connection.
• Wendy’s crush on Neil is solely when they are children, and it is much more obsessive. Wendy spends a considerable time watching Neil before even approaching him, and she is initially possessive to a selfless extent until these feelings falter, its a lot more morbid than just a lighthearted trust.
• In the book, Neil doesn’t have a solidified recollection of Brian until he receives Eric’s letter that talks about Brian. In New York visiting Wendy, he consequently gets triggered when asked about a threesome by a client for his “Occupation.” as it brings back those traumatic memories which he associates as traumatic for the first time upon realising that he wasn’t “Special.” This brings a lot more depth to when they finally meet in person and go to Coach Heider’s house.
• There are side characters who I find interesting in the book: Christopher, who is Neil and Eric’s dealer in the highschool timeline, and Stan, who is an alliance that Neil makes during his dangerous ventures as a prostitute when he visits Wendy in New York. Before Neil leaves with the date rapist in NYC, Stan pleads with Neil not to leave with the perpetrator, and it is heavily implied that Stan was a survivor of that same man.