The Skeleton Twins (2014)

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

Two unlikely leads star in this bleak comedy-drama about two estranged twins coming back together.

The Very Best

8.9

Movie

United States of America
English
Drama
2014
CRAIG JOHNSON
Adriane Lenox, Bill Hader, Boyd Holbrook
90 min

What it's about

Estranged twins Maggie and Milo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront the reasons their lives went so wrong. As the twins' reunion reinvigorates them, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.

The take

Directed and co-written by Craig Johnson (who made The Adolescents with Mark Duplass), The Skeleton Twins is a beautiful piece of drama, dealing with some dark themes. It does so with surprising success, given that the two main actors are seasoned comedians with little to no experience in the genre. And yet, it is precisely the two leads that turn this bleak comedy-drama into a somber, haunting, but beautiful watch. Bill Hader is amazing as the depressed and suicidal gay man, Milo, who is reunited with his estranged twin Maggie (Kristen Wiig) after a series of unfortunate events. Their attempts at repairing their fractured relationship also forces them to confront the trajectory of their own lives, while they rediscover their erstwhile childhood friendship and long-lost camaraderie. Again, don't expect a traditional comedy, but an honest display of the complexities of sibling relationships, mental health, and how conflict, compassion, and understanding fit into it all.

Comments

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Novelist’s Film (2022)

A deeply meaningful and uncommonly tender high point in director Hong Sang-soo's prolific career

8.8

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

The Novice (2021)

An occasionally overwhelming sensory experience about obsession, led by a ferocious lead actress

7.4

Art of Love (2024)

An underwhelming heist romance with all of the style but none of the thrills

5.7

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023)

A dying criminal kills to be the most wanted in this Taiwanese Western-esque gangster drama

7.5

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Shyamalan meets Black Mirror in this hugely entertaining, visually inventive apocalyptic thriller with a killer ending

8.2

All of Us Strangers (2023)

A devastating queer drama that explores the nature of grief and love through a uniquely supernatural lens

8.8

Thank You, I’m Sorry (2023)

Estranged sisters reconnect amidst grief and bizarre comedy in this understated Swedish drama

6.5

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.