tohkwongweng Ridiculous, self indulgent and absolutely crap. Can't believe I wasted my time with this one. Also how was this classified under the horror genre? Nothing about the movie was scary! Completely insane to score this movie about nothing a 10. The story for the most part is about a boy in his naivety who has absolutely no clue about how the world works and the implied evil that men can do. Still doesn't constitute a horror movie. Kindly remove this movie from that category.

Michael Ledo I admit. I missed it. There is clearly some sort of metaphor and symbolism at work. The semi-surreal background kept he thinking about what is really happening. Seth Dove(Jeremy Cooper)is a young boy with a wild imagination growing up on a farm in Idaho. He believes the widow (Lindsay Duncan) next door is a vampire. His name oozes with symbolism, but I missed it. I suppose the symbolism involves the title, "The Reflecting Skin" which is mentioned late in the film.His brother Cameron (Viggo Mortensen) shows up from watching a-bomb tests and falls in love with the woman whose dead husband's name was Adam. More of the metaphor? Adam's first wife was supposed to have been a succubus according to lore. There is diverse religious discussions among the kids involving angels. The black Cadillac??? Was that the grim reaper?At times I felt I was going to watch another "Sailor Who Fell From Grace From the Sea" combined with "Summer of '42" combined with "Pan's Labyrinth". Sheila Moore, as the mom reminded me of the moms I grew up with before Valium. The movie had been fascinated and interested the whole time. If I had caught the symbolism, I would have perhaps gone 5 stars.Parental Guide: No f-bombs, adult themes. Male rear nudity (Viggo) and B&W photo. I obtained this film on a horror film 8-pack at Walmart, although this is not really a horror film.

RaoulGonzo From Author turned filmmaker "Phillip Ridley" comes his mythical and mysterious film debut "The Reflective Skin" a strange and unsettling look at loneliness and loss of innocence. Comparisons to David Lynch will always come about if a film is in anyway odd or weird but this is certainly no imitation more in style with Twin Peaks to which this was released before.The story is told through the eyes of a not so innocent 8 year old boy named Seth set in rural America in the 1950's, with world war II still imprinted on the mind of the citizens. After his father tells him stories of Vampires, he lets his imagination get the better of him and becomes convinced that the widow Dolphin Blue (Lindsay Duncan) who lives up the road is a vampire. He tries to dissuade his brother Cam (Viggo Mortensen) from getting involved with her. He deals with abusive figures around town in an unforgiving environment. Children start to go missing and might no why, but could it be the vampire?From the opening scenes of beautiful imagery and the striking golden corn fields I knew I was in for something surreal and fantastical, something different. Scenes of Seth and friends blowing up a frog with a straw then making it explode, twin girls walking down a path with a dead seagull in their hands clucking while looking on intently could come straight from a nightmare and the latter scene especially can send shivers down your spine.The dark tone never shifts it stays there and it lingers in the mind until well after the film has finished. The unsettling and melancholic atmosphere is aided by the score and is effective in the more poignant moments.The child acting is far from great however and at times can take away from some of the seriousness of the drama but for me never spoiled the horrors unfolding on screen. Viggo Mortensen is very good in his role playing a character who is also fairly damaged by his environment after fighting in the pacific islands.Overall The Reflective Skin is worth seeking out, it may not be for everyone but everyone who does enjoy can take something different out of it. It's haunting with stunning cinematography and landscapes if you are a fan of surreal images in film you are in luck.

SnoopyStyle It's 1950s in rural America. 8 year old Seth Dove plays a prank exploding a frog on his reclusive English neighbor Dolphin Blue. His mother forces him to go apologize to her. His father tells him about vampires. Dolphin tells the boy that she is 200 years old. His friend Eben disappears. He warns his other friend Kim and both break into Dolphin's home. He finds Eben's body in the well. His father was once caught by Sheriff Ticker kissing a 17 year old boy. After being threatened with an investigation, his father sets himself on fire. His older brother Cameron (Viggo Mortensen) returns from the military. Cameron starts to get involved with Dolphin despite Seth warning him that she's a vampire. There is also a group of ominous men in a black Cadillac.I see this more as a surreal horror. It's not necessarily related to anything close to reality. I like the black color scheme and the overtly unreal style. I like Seth's warped understanding of vampires and angels. The big thing that doesn't make sense is his understanding of the men in the car. I don't know why he doesn't tell the sheriff about them. I don't know what he means when he says "No, not yet". Does he want to take a ride in the future? I just don't know what the men in the black car mean to him. It doesn't seem like it's well thought out. Some of the dialog can also be written better. The movie has an interesting look but the writing can be better.