Dramatic comedies are a dime a dozen nowadays, and when initially reading the synopsis of “The Skeleton Twins” it appeared to be the same as every other one released. It’s certainly a tale that’s been told before on numerous occasions and one could find themselves picking the film apart practically beat by beat. These statements began to shadow doubt and raise questions about its choice as the recipient of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival when I walked into the theater for the screening of this SNL-alum led dramedy. Walking out, I found myself reevaluating the amount of attention I bring to execution of material, rather than the core originality of the material itself.
Directed by Craig Johnson, “The Skeleton” Twins stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as estranged twins Milo and Maggie. After coincidentally cheating death on the same day, the two reunite in an effort to confront their lives and problems and find out what went so wrong. As the two begin to reconnect, they realize that the key to fixing their own lives could lie in the rekindling of their own relationship.
Make no mistake about it, “The Skeleton Twins” is absolutely an actors’ film. With a plot centered mostly on living day to day, the audiences sees just how capable Wiig and Hader are as leading talent. Cutting through emotional moments with precision and giving the audience plenty of laughs along the way as well, this duo has some of the best on-screen chemistry in a film this year. It’s Hader, however, who steals the show as Milo. Stepping out of his comfort zone of comedy, Hader’s portrayal of this troubled and struggling actor is layered with subtext and repressed emotions, let out ever so slightly through a joke or slight facial movement. His performance oozes with charm and screams potential Oscar nomination at many points throughout the film. Couple that with on par performances from Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell and you have a film that celebrates its actors and allows them to really explore their characters rather than drowning them in unnecessary action.
However, the strengths in the film’s acting and writing unfortunately highlight some of the issues as well. The plot is extremely simplistic in its portrayal of life in that it feels like you are living day to day with these characters. This style works at points, but too often the film gets stuck in the monotony of everyday, bringing the audience to levels of disinterest and boredom which directly clash with the other fantastically executed sequences.
Nevertheless, The Skeleton Twins is a deeply moving story about the conflicts of family and depression that should not be missed. Wiig and Hader deliver Oscar – worthy performances, with each scene peeling back emotionally complex layer after emotionally complex layer. Slow parts aside, the film builds and relates to audiences in ways that seem fresh to a very tired and clichéd dramedy genre.
7/10
By Nick Franco
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