‘Some secrets are so evil…’
The Twin is a 2021 Finnish horror film about a young mother who needs to confront the unbearable truth about her surviving twin son.
Directed by Taneli Mustonen (Lake Bodom) from a screenplay co-written with producer Aleksi Hyvärinen.
The Don Films production stars Teresa Palmer (Lights Out; Warm Bodies; A Discovery of Witches), Steven Cree (Terminator: Dark Fate), Tristan Ruggeri, Barbara Marten (The Turning) and Ergo Küppas.
Plot:
A young mother is haunted by the violent death of one of her twins. As she and her partner set out to rebuild their lives in the Scandinavian countryside, they soon come to realise that some secrets are so evil, they need to be buried twice…
Reviews:
“The Twin is a decent horror film, although not completely original it’s still solidly entertaining. If you’ve seen something like the A Tale of Two Sisters, then you’ll see where this is going almost straight away. It’s essentially a more accessible version of that film.” 2/5 Ashley Manning
“No matter how good the acting (Palmer is phenomenal and deserves a better movie), it doesn’t stick. The Twin is a succession of clichés (the village idiot, pagan rituals and hidden family pasts: check, check and double-check!) but does not transcend these tired genre tricks. It doesn’t stick. Not bad, but very average.” 2.5/5 Cinemagazine [translated from Dutch]
“There is a point in the narrative where the clues begin to pile up and offers a glimpse into the big reveal veteran sleuths might easily deduce. The film’s final moments offer little surprise given the climax of the film. The production could have benefited from a bit of subtitle and nuance to draw the viewer in a bit deeper to enhance the shock value.” 👍 Fears Mag
“The Twin is not an awful movie by any means, but it is also not a particularly good one either. It skirts from one genre cliche to the next, accompanied by a sinister score and a committed performance from Teresa Palmer. One will be left with mostly a shrug as the twists come fast and furious in the movie’s home stretch.” 2/5 Josh at the Movies
“The unpredictability that has just been sufficiently exploited makes The Twin seem unreliable. The unexpectedly moving camera, the wide scenery and the symbols hidden here and there make the atmosphere devout but ominous. The film really knows how to milk its milieu without succumbing to the Hollywood sense of self-purpose.” 3.5/5 Kulttuuri-Toimitus [translated from Finnish]
“While Mustonen and Hyvärinen play with the familiar, it lures you into a false sense of security. By the time, you reach the grand twist, it does effectively alter how one perceives previous events. There are moments, though, that make it difficult to suspend disbelief narratively. It is here where there will be the most trouble for some viewers to reconcile with.” Nightmarish Conjurings
“The Twin – The Evil Twin is a stylishly directed horror drama that stumbles upon the script. It’s as if Mustonen and Hyvärinen didn’t fully know how to end the story and resorted to the cliché handbook. Before that, though, the film works enjoyably.” Seiska [translated from Finnish]
” …so much can be crossed off on the cliché bingo card that you seem to be watching five different films halfway through. Kudos therefore to Palmer, who manages to hold his own in this plot potpourri, because that saves the film a bit if it has painted itself in every imaginable corner about ten minutes before the end.” 2/5 Schokkend Nieuwes
YouTube reviews:
Release:
The Twin premiered on Shudder on May 6, 2022, in all territories as well as theatrically and On-Demand (VOD) and Digital in the US and Canada.
Production:
The Twin is backed by Shudder, Playtime, Nordisk Film, the Finnish Film Foundation, Estonian Film Institute and the Finnish television channel MTV3.
Cast and characters:
Teresa Palmer … Rachel
Steven Cree … Anthony
Tristan Ruggeri … Elliot / Nathan
Barbara Marten … TBC
Ergo Küppas … Villager
Filming locations:
Tallinn, Estonia from March 18, 2021.
Trailer:
“You Don’t Want to Hurt Mommy, Do You?” clip
“Wedding swing” clip:
“Mother’s instinct” clip:
