“The Twin”

109 min

Directed by Tuneli Mustonen

Now streaming on Shudder 

This movie is like Ari Aster of “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” took a bunch of downers and made a version of “The Omen” meets “Rosemary’s Baby” meets “Shutter Island” starring Kirsten the American Girl Doll and then turned the color palette to half sat and applied a vintage camera VSCO filter. This is meant to be complimentary of the highest order. Folks who don’t enjoy any of the above listed movies probably won’t like this one, but it’s perfect if you’re interested in movies similar to A24’s recent rash of spooky fare. It’s got gorgeous cinematography and sprawling overhead shots with creepy-cozy aesthetic, and I’m living for all the warm yet chilling feels created by the spooky old house and its contents, too. Sure, all these elements have been done before in other films, but it’s all executed expertly here; even if you’ve seen the aforementioned, it’s still worth watching. I found it to be another tense, captivating look at how our brains and psyches can fracture in so many ways when we encounter grief and trauma, and the agonizing heartbreak of having to face the truth head-on despite the fact you don’t remotely wish to do so.

TW: car accident, death of a child/loss of a child, PTSD, mental illness, supernatural elements, cults, religious rites, disembodied voices, possession, disturbing imagery, hallucinations, flashing imagery, pregnant women in peril, lots of blood, seizures and epileptic fits, gaslighting and manipulation, needles, torture, ghosts and spirits, demons, imprisonment and torture, corpses, grief and trauma, guns/shooting, rites and rituals, disembodied chanting, exorcism, murder

Review by Ellen Avigliano
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