The Reflecting Skin
1990 · Movie · R · 95 min · ★ 6.7 · 83% critics
In 1950s rural Idaho, a young boy tries to make sense of unsettling events around his isolated community. After hearing vampire stories, he becomes convinced a reclusive widow up the road is dangerous, and his fears intensify as people close to him drift into trouble.
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Details
- Years
- 1990
- Release date
- 1990-08-28
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 83/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (219 votes)
- Budget
- $1,500,000
About
If you like unsettling, surreal stories about childhood fears and moral decay, this may stick with you, especially if you enjoy the offbeat mood of Possum or Santa Sangre; Not for you if you want clear answers or traditional horror thrills.
Pros: striking daytime atmosphere; memorable dialogue; bold, surreal tone | Cons: bleak and unpleasant; slow, confusing story; not very scary
Themes
- farm
- radiation
- widow
- murder
- cancer
- rural area
- killer
- nuclear
- midwest
- ex soldier
- 1950s
- reflective
Awards & recognition
- Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award · 1990
- Sitges Film Festival Best cinematography · 1990
Cast & crew
Viggo Mortensen
as Cameron Dove
Lindsay Duncan
as Dolphin Blue
Jeremy Cooper
as Seth Dove
Sheila Moore
as Ruth Dove
Duncan Fraser
as Luke Dove
David Longworth
as Joshua
Robert Koons
as Sheriff Ticker
- DB
David Bloom
as Deputy
- EH
Evan Hall
as Kim
Codie Lucas Wilbee
as Eben
Directed by Philip Ridley