REVIEW: The Skeleton Twins

The Skeleton Twins has been on my watch list for quite some time. I adore Bill Hader and think that Kristen Wiig's potential is utterly wasted doing comedies where the punchline always comes in the form of either a silly voice or a pratfall, so when I heard that the two were starring opposite each other in an independent comedy/drama, my interest was naturally piqued. It was through sheer serendipity that I happened upon this movie sitting on the main page of Netflix, after having heard next to nothing about it since its release.

The film concerns fraternal twins, Milo and Maggie (Hader and Wiig, who might as well be related in real life); after a failed suicide attempt, Milo ends up staying with his sister and her husband (Luke Wilson) in New York until he can get back on his feet. The two haven't seen each other in ten years; Milo traveled out to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actor and Maggie settled down in their hometown. Neither of their lives are panning out quite exactly as they'd hoped, and we get to see the two reconnect and deal with the various ghosts of their past. Saying anything more would delve into spoiler territory, as it's up to the audience to gradually figure out exactly what has happened to the siblings in the past that made them the damaged people they became. It drip-feeds you information in a very methodical but natural way; you're never left completely lost as to what's happening, but you're always hungry for more information. There are no exposition dumps here, it keeps the audience invested without seeming overly vague or muddled for the sake of appearing mysterious.

The thing that makes this movie work is the titular twins themselves. Hader and Wiig are so compelling, all thanks to their utterly stunning natural chemistry. There's more than a few moments on display here where it's clear they were given free reign to improvise, to great effect. They really feel like two people who grew up only having each other to turn to; the only downside to their amazing performances is that every other character feels somewhat underdeveloped in comparison. That's not to say that anyone gives a bad performance here, everyone is excellent (and it is clearly a film that is meant to focus primarily on the two siblings), but it runs into the problem of certain characters doing nothing more than entering and exiting the plot in order to introduce a new situation or move things along. For example, Milo and Maggie's mother, played by Joanna Gleason; she appears for one scene, coming off as wholly self-righteous and emotionally detached from her children's lives. We only meet her once, but she leaves a huge impression. I personally found this character very interesting, perhaps only because we know so little about her. I would have loved more scenes with her, delving into her strained relationship with her children, but this is a luxury we are denied. Luke Wilson's portrayal of Maggie's husband, Lance, is equally interesting. When we are introduced to him, we assume he's going to be that classic Gaston-type; a rugged man's man who is emotionally checked-out and self-absorbed. In truth, he's the exact opposite; while he enjoys working with his hands and he isn't particularly book-smart, he is just a genuinely nice, all-around good guy. Once he leaves the plot, that's it; we get no closure with his character, which I genuinely would have liked to see. Whether this was done for budgetary reasons or in service of maintaining the solid, even pace, I'm not quite sure, but it's definitely an aspect of the film that I found to be somewhat lacking.

This all feels like a very small, intimate film, most likely because the main cast is so compact. I've already sung the praises of Hader and Wiig (though admittedly not as much as they deserve, seeing as how they are truly spectacular in this), Gleason is excellent for how little we see of her, and Wilson is surprisingly endearing for the part he plays. In the supporting cast we also have Boyd Holbrook as Maggie's scuba instructor (and possibly the only totally one-dimensional character in the story) and Ty Burrell as Rich, an ex-lover of Milo's. Between Hader, Wiig, and Burrell, this movie has a knack for making me appreciate how incredible primarily comedic actors can be when taking on more serious roles; everyone here is a chameleon, totally unrecognizable from their various hijinks on SNL or Modern Family. 

I would say, "even if this movie wasn't good, you should still watch it, just for the performances", but then it dawned on me that this movie is good because of the performances. Not to disparage the writing, directing, cinematography, or music (all of which is top notch), but this is a character-driven story. If we didn't care about these believable characters, there would be no movie here. It's funny and gloomy at the same time; it's the kind of cry you need to have once in a while. The Skeleton Twins is a heartfelt look at the bond, not between family, but between siblings; if you've ever felt totally alone, except for that one person who gets you when you need a friend, definitely give it a watch.