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The Reflecting Skin

Play trailer Poster for The Reflecting Skin R 1990 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Growing up in the 1950s in small-town Idaho, 8-year-old Seth (Jeremy Cooper) and his friends play a prank on the town recluse, a widow named Dolphin Blue (Lindsay Duncan). When his friends start disappearing, Seth becomes convinced Dolphin is a vampire, stealing the souls of the neighborhood children one by one. After his brother, Cameron (Viggo Mortensen), returns home and takes a liking to Dolphin, Seth feels it's up to him to save Cameron from his friends' fate.
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The Reflecting Skin

Critics Reviews

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Steve Davis Austin Chronicle 01/01/2000
2.5/5
The Reflecting Skin may befuddle you by what it's all about, but like a vivid dream, you'll have a difficult time forgetting it. Go to Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault 08/24/2022
A+
It will enrapture those attuned to its wheatfield surrealism and repel, violently, everyone else. Go to Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal 10/29/2020
3.5/5
Seth's descent is one into a very American imagination of violence - defined less by actions he takes than those he allows to happen, cheap thrills that yield disastrous consequences. Sound akin to anything toward which we're teetering these days? Go to Full Review David Bax Battleship Pretension 08/30/2019
By setting The Reflecting Skin in middle America in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Ridley allows himself plenty of opportunity to contrast the country's post-War boom with the psychic destruction of a returning soldier like Cameron. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 08/17/2019
3.5/4
Haunting and hypnotic, The Reflecting Skin gets under the skin and is content to remain there. Go to Full Review David Keyes Cinemaphile.org 07/01/2016
3.5/4
Moves with dreamlike confidence through a culvert of hard realities that are unflinching and insufferable, sometimes to the point of personal discomfort. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Richard W. @rdwoolf Aug 12 I think The Reflecting Skin is what film would be like if David Lynch made a children’s film. (Note, this is not a children’s film.) It is a very beautiful film. Like an Andrew Wyeth painting. But, it’s also extremely odd. It was intriguing though. But I would’ve preferred a little more of an ending. See more Farah R @Farah Apr 27 I have no idea how this movie has such good ratings and reviews because it bore me out of my mind. I love Vigo Mortensen but this is one of the worst movies, horror or otherwise, that I have ever suffered through. The story makes no sense, the pacing is unbearably slow, and the oversaturated color grading makes it visually unpleasant. See more Alain E @AlainE Jan 31 I have no idea how this is rated so highly. I patiently watched the first half trying to see where this thing is going. Decent photography and acceptable acting. Then? I guess Mortensen’s character met victims of the nuclear weapons. Sad, but there was a war going on. Do you think babies subjected to napalm were more photogenic? The woman who lives alone maybe has a secret that we will learn in 6 hours or never. Her husband killed himself one week after moving to this town. Is that a hint for the audience of the movie? Why the little boy was found in the well? See more Leigh P 10/27/2024 In the end, I feel like I wasted my time unfortunately. I kept waiting for a clear meaning. All I got from of it is that like is difficult which most of us know. The golden fields were beautiful along with many other vivid colors. See more Beau S 09/01/2024 This one is awful, I do not recommend. Go outside and watch the grass grow. That is better than watching this one. See more Alec B 02/28/2024 American Plains Gothic. The surrealism is measured and the emotions are not which makes for a bizarre and beguiling viewing experience. See more Read all reviews
The Reflecting Skin

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Cast & Crew

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Philip Ridley

Director

Viggo Mortensen

Cameron Dove

Lindsay Duncan

Dolphin Blue

Jeremy Cooper

Seth Dove

Sheila Moore

Ruth Dove

Duncan Fraser

Luke Dove

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The Reflecting Skin

The Reflecting Skin (1990) The Reflecting Skin (1990) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Growing up in the 1950s in small-town Idaho, 8-year-old Seth (Jeremy Cooper) and his friends play a prank on the town recluse, a widow named Dolphin Blue (Lindsay Duncan). When his friends start disappearing, Seth becomes convinced Dolphin is a vampire, stealing the souls of the neighborhood children one by one. After his brother, Cameron (Viggo Mortensen), returns home and takes a liking to Dolphin, Seth feels it's up to him to save Cameron from his friends' fate.
Director
Philip Ridley
Producer
Dominic Anciano, Ray Burdis
Production Co
Fugitive Features, National Film Trustee Company, BBC Film, British Screen Productions, Bialystock & Bloom Limited, Téléfilm Canada, Zenith Entertainment, Ontario Film Development Corporation
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 6, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.0K
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Surround
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