The Twin, a simply titled film with a seemingly simple plot, is a rendering of Aleksi Hyvärinen and Taneli Mustonen, currently streaming on Shudder.

Veering Off

The film begins innocently. Viewers catch a glimpse of an old station wagon puttering down the road. We see the mom and son, all evidence indicates a family road trip is in progress when things swerve fast, segueing into tragedy. Viewers don’t see what happens, but the many camera shots display the fear, agony, sadness, depression, and death, signposts of a horrific experience.

Then we see the family at a tombstone with the name Nathan inscribed and the total picture seems to come into focus for the viewer. So, it seems… Illusions are a tricky thing, aren’t they?

Twin Has Depth

There is a bit of a jump in time. The family is trying to put the pieces together to get beyond what has happened but what is on the surface is no indicator of what is happening. Like all hapless mothers, Rachel is oblivious. To appease her son or her sense of guilt, she fulfills a very macabre wish against better judgment. Odd requests, weird drawings, horrible dreams, all ominous signs, signs that something is not quite right.

Finally, the fun begins when Elliot proclaims he’s no longer who his mother thinks he is, but this is only the second layer of this multilayered work. There is even more depth to this one.