The Skeleton Twins
The Skeleton Twins is a 2014 American comedy-drama film about Milo and Maggie directed by Craig Johnson and starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. The film premiered in competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014.
Milo cuts his wrists after writing a suicide note. Milo’s twin sister Maggie (Wiig) at that time is in her bathroom. She is preparing to swallow a bunch of pills. She gets interrupted by a call from a hospital informing her that Milo has attempted suicide. She has not to meet Milo for like 10 years now. Maggie offers Milo to come and stay at their hometown. To which he agrees. After coming to the hometown he meets Milo’s husband Lance.
He finds out that they are trying to convince a baby. He then takes a look at his school his teacher who is very old now. Milo then meets Rich by this time he has already a son. Milo lies about having an acting career and claims to have an agent in Los Angeles, although he actually waits tables at a tourist restaurant. Maggie asks for reassurance that he will not kill himself. Lance confides to Milo that he is concerned that he may be infertile.
Milo mentions that Maggie used to hide cigarettes around the house, planting the idea for Lance to look for contraceptives. Maggie’s menstrual period is late, and she considers buying a pregnancy test. Maggie ends the relationship with Billy and returns home where she is confronted by Lance, who is painfully confused by the birth control pills he has found.
Maggie leaves Milo a voicemail echoing his suicide note and goes to the pool. she jumps into the pool. As she begins to drown, she panics but is unable to free herself. Milo, having heard her message, jumps into the pool and rescues her. The film ends with the twins at Maggie’s house, looking at their new fish tank filled with goldfish.
This movie exists somewhere between tragedy and comedy. The film opens with not one but two suicide attempts. That tells you a lot about the darkly comic tone that Johnson maintains throughout this film. The film is mostly covered with Maggie and Milo’s relationship. There is a little subplot with Lance and Rich as well. This allows for the discussion of dysfunctional families for broader questions about one’s desire for intimacy and the need to feel connected. Maggie’s affair with the scuba-diving instructor and Milo’s wanting to rejoin into a romantic relationship with his high-school teacher, both show the idea of a forbidden intimacy that hints at deeper issues. The film regularly relies on childhood flashbacks to give context and emotional weight to the interactions between Maggie and Milo. Skeleton Twins provides an engaging and convincing study of depression and family trauma.
The Skeleton Twin is not available on Netflix India.