Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig in 'The Skeleton Twins'.
A little like Wish I Was Here, also reviewed today, The Skeleton Twins is a film featuring siblings affected by their upbringing and who discover, as adults, the only person who can really help them deal with their issues is each other.
The estranged twins are Maggie and Milo, played
by Saturday Night Live comedy alumni Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader.
The pair's chemistry is undeniable from their first awkward scene together in the hospital after Milo attempts suicide. As you expect of siblings, they laugh, bicker and say cuttingly honest things to each other - most importantly, they convince us no one knows them better than each other.
A struggling actor in Los Angeles, Milo accepts his sister's offer to recuperate with her and husband Lance (Wilson) in upstate New York. Maggie's life seems perfectly normal, but as time goes on it becomes clear to Milo his sister is also quietly unravelling.
The script, by co-writer and director Craig Johnson, doesn't throw any real curveballs but his characters are likeable, well-rounded and flawed. The observations about Maggie and Milo and their disappointments at how their lives have turned out are genuine and smart.
