The Reflecting Skin (1990)

Just-Watch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A boy lives in early 1950s rural Idaho where reality is very strange, and mysterious deaths are occurring. When I first heard the COIL song “Omlagus Garfungiloops” I was baffled by the sample “You’ve been exploding frogs again?” A friend informed me it was from the movie The Reflecting Skin. I knew I needed to see this. I finally was able to rent a copy a year or so later and was 100% not disappointed. I have watched this one multiple times over the years. I never get sick of it. This movie is darkly surreal, beautiful, horrific, funny at times, and features very good performances. That includes an early appearance of Viggo Mortensen, who I’ve been a big fan of ever since. There are moments where you see the limits of the budget, but they take little away from this unique indie masterpiece.

BONUS: You can watch director Philip Ridley’s bizarre short film The Universe of Dermott Finn (1988) here on YouTube. Check out an article about Ridley’s multi-faceted career here.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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