It is this kind of cultural disconnect between gamer and non-gamer that Juan Carlos Pineiro-Escoriaza's Second Skin seeks to counteract. The filmmakers interviewed current and former gamers, as well as authors, developers and a game addiction counselor. By intercutting a variety of interviews, it takes a competent and balanced look at the world of Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (abbreviated MMORPGs, or just MMOs).

Online games have been around for as long as the Internet has existed, and MMOs have been slowly gaining traction among gamers. They now draw millions of players, and it’s not uncommon to have hundreds of thousands of people playing and interacting together at one time. MMOs are essentially their own virtual societies with their own distinct cultures and economies. Despite the massive popularity of such games, they can still seem mysterious and even sinister to non-gamers in the mainstream, who, to look at someone playing one of these games, might only see a solitary, slack-faced individual who appears completely disassociated from reality.

Second Skin provides a bare definition of MMOs with the help of Edward Castronova, author of Synthetic Worlds, a book about the business and culture of online games. Beyond that, the film attacks the biggest challenge in representing a medium like games to a film viewing audience: accurately portraying what playing the game is actually like for those who have never done so.

In this it attains moderate success through clever use of machinima, where in-game footage is re-cut to craft basic narratives that illustrate some of the players’ in-game activities and interactions, be it killing monsters, conversing or flirting. Intricacies of gameplay are not described, and Second Skin goes on to focus on the relationships between the players it profiles.

Three main storylines make up the film, which encompass players of World of Warcraft and Everquest II. The most detailed plotline is that of Chris, Matt, Anthony and Andy, four friends and housemates living in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. They play WoW as often as they can, and their epic gaming sessions are meticulously documented and humorously portrayed. There is a sense of deep friendship in this group, but also underlying tension, as their rank juggles varying amounts of responsibility in real life. Notable is Andy, whose wife is pregnant with twins. While she outwardly supports his dedication to his hobby, moments of hesitations during interviews play as tacit disapproval of the amount of time he spends gaming.

The film profiles many others whose lives have been affected by online gaming: Dan is a recovering WoW addict, Liz is the founder of OnLine Gamers Anonymous, Heather and Kevin are a couple whose romance began in Everquest II, Andrew finds a special kind of freedom in virtual worlds; the Syndicate is a wildly successful in-game organization comprising hundreds of members. The stories are numerous and varied. They often hit in an engaging and rapid fire manner, and they vary between confirming and undercutting conclusions the viewer attempts to draw from previous segments. The result is a film that often defies expectations and confounds attempts at passing judgment on its subjects.

Second Skin is most successful in its juxtaposition of subjects whose experiences directly contrast each other, which leads to some truly moving moments. It also captures several priceless situations and verbal exchanges.

At times, though, the structure of the film seems to be problematic. Some storylines seem stretched, while others don’t adequately conclude. The film follows the Ft. Wayne boys through a marathon gaming session, but leaves the case of Heather and Kevin in limbo. Parts of Dan’s recovery process are glossed over, and some briefer interviews seem like filler. Second Skin’s sole focus on relationships may perhaps represent a missed opportunity to engage in the deeper issues of what—psychologically and sociologically—draws players to this particular form of escape. Its focus on personality and personal testimony provides an adequate overview of where online gaming currently stands, but many questions about the genre remain unanswered at film's end. It is up to viewers to decide whether virtual worlds are destined to become platforms for human unification and equalization, dangerous diversions that replace fantasy with real-life success, or simply another form of entertainment.

Of course, there may never be a single consensus on the subject. As a gamer myself, I related to all of those profiled in the film, yet I still questioned why I personally seek the sort of immersion that MMOs provide. I can’t speak for non-players, and Second Skin left me wondering how, or if, the perception of such games were altered in the non-gaming viewers.

Ultimately, Second Skin provides an intimate introduction to a subculture that is quickly becoming mainstream. It’s clear that online gaming will only become more relevant and visible in society, and I can only hope that this film is the first of many fascinating explorations on the topic.