The Skeleton Twins

A few weeks ago I was reading a young adult book about two teenagers on the verge of suicide. When they encountered each other at the top of their school's building, they somewhat talked each other out of jumping off the ledge and they immediately became friends. I was reminded of the book when I got around to watching The Skeleton Twins. Two people on different points of their lives saw death as a way out, and they somewhat start to save each other.

Twins Milo and Maggie Dean haven't been in contact for ten years, when Maggie unexpectedly got a call about Milo having attempted to commit suicide. She invites her brother to stay with her back in New York, where each person ends up dealing with a different part of their life - Maggie with her unhappy state in marriage, and Milo with a demon of the past - while trying to reconnect. 

Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig work well together. They're no stranger to their partnerships, having appeared in movies and done SNL together. Both these comedians are trying to push a dramatic side, which worked quite well in their movie. Hader was able to push a different side of him as an actor, and Wiig gaves an equally good performance, a rare feat considering she has been trying to find her ground in the genre.They have a great chemistry that worked well as brother and sister, and their characters balanced each other out. 

It could have used a bit more content - while we get a bigger picture of Milo in the movie, only bits and pieces were given about Maggie that we have to inference a bit about her character to know her personality. Each twin was quite different back then, and it was only years later that both were able to settle their differences and in turn support each other. The movie was certainly dark and dramatic, as it deals with depression, secrecy, deceit, - these qualities mostly stemming from Milo and Maggie. The movie wasn't too dramatic to make it too depressing, but with some scenes, you would expect a greater emotional impact. There was slight impact, but not enough to allow it to carry on to the proceeding scenes. 

The fluid of comedy and drama blends well, and some scenes certainly stand out. The movie works mostly because of Hader and Wiig who portrayed their characters well. Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell play prominent supporting roles, but neither actor stood out against the two leads. This also features a great soundtrack, with one of the songs being memorable for how it was used onscreen. Some scenes were shot well, the framing working to set the tone of the scene. It was an enjoyable movie, a good addition to Hader and Wiig's filmography.

Final Word: The flow of the movie might have been a bit predictable on my end because I had read something similar to it, but it was good nonetheless.

Cast: Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig, Luke Wilson

Director: Craig Johnson

Year: 2014