The Skeleton Twins

Studio: Roadside Attractions
Directed by Craig Johnson

Sep 09, 2014 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

Need it be said that a comedy about suicidal siblings is going to be a little bleak? As Maggie (Kristen Wiig) is poised to take her own life, she’s saved by a last-moment telephone call: her gay twin brother Milo (Bill Hader) attempted suicide just earlier the same day. She invites her estranged sibling to stay at the suburban home she shares with her husband; their impromptu reunion brings repressed emotions bubbling back to the forefront, and forces Maggie to confront her own unhappy existence.

This affecting comedy-drama derives its lighter moments not from its plot elements—obviously—but from the brother-sister relationship the film explores. Wiig and Hader share a believable bond; their intimate shorthand and casual bickering should feel recognizable to most anyone who shares parents with another human. Though parts of their past are left foggy—such as Hader’s history with an ex-lover played by Ty Burrell—The Skeleton Twins is an endearing enough character study.

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