‘You’re emotionally unstable…’
Sometimes you just know. When I saw that new KFC advert the gravy burger… I knew it was something very special indeed. When I first encountered those fridges that make their own ice. Magnificent. Sometimes you just know. And so it is with cinema. Featuring a sparkling cast, a sad story and indie credentials, The Skeleton Twins was always gonna be up my street, and what a pathetic little street it is…
Milo (Bill Hader) and Maggie (Kristen Wiig) are estranged twins who are unexpectedly reunited when both try to commit suicide on the same day. Milo moves in with Maggie and her husband Lance (Luke Wilson) in an attempt to get both of their lives back on track.
Unsurprisingly, Hader and Wiig are great together, and it is genuinely refreshing to see a movie focus on a sibling relationship rather than a romantic one. Luke Wilson is also as solid as ever, and the three of them do a great job in bringing some heart and nuance to a trio of characters who are all pretty unappealing on the page.
Writer/director Craig Johnson presents three characters who are flawed, but trying. Afterall, that’s all any of us can really hope for. A skinny running time, and an excellent indie soundtrack (hello Band of Horses) all add to the film’s appeal, and while there isn’t much to separate it from the many slightly sad movies in this genre, this whole aesthetic and feel is my jam. So I loved it. If you like big explosions and characters painted in broad strokes, this movie probably isn’t for you.
For everyone else, The Skeleton Twins is a classy movie and a life affirming experience.