Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader join forces in Craig Johnson’s The Skeleton Twins which tells the saddening tale of a broken family, while touching on subjects that hit home for a lot of people in today’s society.
Hader plays Milo Dean, who refers to himself as “another tragic gay cliché”, is a failed actor who is living a floundering life in LA. Wiig plays his twin sister, Maggie Dean, a disgruntled house wife in New York. After their father passed away, the pair grew apart and haven’t spoken for over a decade. But what brings them together isn’t love or the fact they’re missing one another, it’s a much more serious topic that rings true for a lot of people; suicide.
The film starts with a solemn tone as Milo emerges in a blood-filled bath after trying to take his own life. Maggie stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, contemplating taking a handful of pills. The brother/sister duo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront how their lives went so drastically wrong.
After his suicide attempt, Milo moves back to the Big Apple with Maggie and the pair re-kindle their once fond relationship. Their time together is necessary at this point in their lives and it takes them on a trip down memory lane, reopening and healing old wounds. From years of working together, Wiig and Hader pull off the perfect love-hate, sister-brother relationship, making it extremely relatable for an audience.
Although suicide is certainly no laughing matter, there are some side-splitting moments throughout the indie-drama where you think you’re going to cry, but actually burst into hysterics. A highlight being when the duo both mime Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship. It not only makes you crack up, but also shows the coming together of a family. This is the fundamental element in the film: they realize that the key to fixing their lives lies in fixing their relationship with each other.
The Skeleton Twins is a strong feature that successfully merges both comedy and drama while taking you on a realistic emotional rollercoaster. It highlights the struggles of everyday life and is the perfect blend of upsetting and joyful moments.
The Skeleton Twins is screening on Rialto Channel this July, for more information go to rialtochannel.co.nz
