An impeccable pair of performances by Jeremy Irons carries this creepy thriller about twins who must share everything. 

Dead Ringers is a 1988 psychological horror film about twin brothers Elliot and Beverly who are eerily close even for twins. They share everything an apartment, a gynecological practice, and even women. 

Irons performances as the two men is absolutely mesmerizing. He bring the subtlest shifts in manner and demeanor to each of the two brothers. This isn’t the overacting of someone trying extra hard to show off his range by playing twins. He is performing at a very subdued and fascinating level showing incredible control and restraint. 

The twins have a successful medical practice helping women conceive. One day an actress named Claire Niveau, played by Genevieve Bujold, comes into the clinic. Elliot, the callous and confident brother plays his usual game of seducing attractive patients. He enjoys sleeping with them and passing them off to his brother Beverly. This way they can share everything.

When Elliot passes Claire Niveau along to Beverly he doesn’t expect that Beverly will fall in love with her. He also doesn’t expect that Beverly’s obsession with Claire will lead them both down a self-destructive path that will lead to ultimate horror. 

It’s hard to describe this movie. The events are strange and awful to describe, but the events of the film don’t fully convey the strangeness and the eerie tension that underlies every moment. 

There’s just something so “off” about this movie. Everything feels uneasy and unsettling. Part of that is due to Irons’ flawless performances. You’re often not quite sure which brother you’re looking at. The obsessions on display are just a little too strange, a little too out of the ordinary that motivations become murky. It always feels like I’m about to figure it out and grab hold of this movie when suddenly a new element is introduced and it wrestles the movie out of my grasp yet again. 

For instance, Beverly becomes obsessed with the idea that Claire is cheating on him. The obsession manifests in him designing new surgical tools for his gynecological practice. The scene in which he attempts to use these tools on a sedated patient is truly horrifying. Why does his obsession manifest in this way? Is he losing his mind? Is he just slipping because he hasn’t been sleeping? It’s a movie that is so hard to relate to. I understand jealousy and suspicion, but I’ve never been so suspicious that I developed new medical tools specifically made for the body of my girlfriend. 

The elusiveness of the motivations and the horror of what these characters do adds up to a very uneasy and unsettling experience. It’s a slow burn of a film that is definitely worth watching if you are looking for a slow, creepy, and challenging experience. 

It’s my cup of tea. B