The Twin Summary and Review - His Brother's Keeper

Rachel: Teresa Palmer
Anthony: Steven Cree
Elliot: Tristan Ruggeri
Helen: Barbara Marten
Director: Taneli Mustonen
Writer: Taneli Mustonen and Aleksi Hyvärinen
Released: 2022

Something Otherworldly at Play

The Twin is a psychological horror film that follows Rachel and her husband Anthony as they relocate to a remote Scandinavian town with their son Elliot after the tragic death of his twin brother, Nathan. However, Rachel soon begins to suspect that something otherworldly is at play, as Elliot's behaviour changes in disturbing ways that seem to be linked to his deceased twin.

At first, Elliot's change in attitude seems to stem from his own grief. In response, Rachel becomes more protective than usual, while Anthony takes a hands-off approach, believing it isn't healthy for Elliot to have every whim indulged. As a result, the couple couple become separated by their shared grief.

The English Eccentric

Rachel struggles to fit in to the lo the community, particularly as the locals are an odd bunch being mostly elderly, dressed in vintage clothing and stubbornly uncommunicative. However, she finds an ally in another outsider, Helen, an eccentric English woman who moved to the area some years previously with her husband. Helen seems to have an intuitive connection with Rachel and warns her, ominously, that a wish made by Elliot at a local landmark has been granted.

As Rachel becomes more unnerved by Elliot's behaviour, she and Anthony seek help from a doctor who seems to be more interested in Rachel's state of mind than Elliot's and in desperation, she turns to Helen, at first refusing to believe what Helen has to tell her before finally succumbing to what might be the truth.

Constant Dread and Creeping Chills

This is a slow burner of a film that maintains an even pace to create an atmosphere of constant unease and creeping chills. There is a welcome logic to the narrative which, initially, avoids the curse of a plot cleverly trying to outdo itself. This is supported by the strong performances with Teresa Palmer portraying a mother unravelling under the weight of her grief and terror, effectively offset by Steven Cree as the withdrawn and subdued Anthony. Tristan Ruggeri delivers just the right amount of creepy innocence as Elliot, making him an unsettling presence throughout the film.

Dreamlike Folk Horror

The Twin is beautifully shot, capturing both the gorgeous scenery and the isolation of the landscape. The film’s melancholic tone is reenforced with the earthy, muted colour palette punctuated with glorious sunsets and light filtering through stained glass. Technically, It's a well executed film, however like many before it, the third act loses its way, drifting into a dreamlike folk horror narrative that undoes its previous good work, leaving the viewer baffled. It is then needlessly prolonged into a conclusion of two parts, which was just about salvaged by a neat, if unoriginal, twist.

The Twin is a visually striking psychological horror that effectively explores themes of grief and the extremes we go to for love. Despite its flaws, it will leave you pondering on these themes for a while after it ends. However, the film's initial promise of supernatural intrigue falls short, largely due to an extended runtime that needed to be filled and a storyline that loses momentum, resulting in an unsatisfying conclusion.

3/5