The Skeleton Twins Review

Going from SNL to the world of film is a voyage many have taken to a wide range of results. Some like Adam Sandler found great success with the transition, while the likes of Jimmy Fallon found other avenues for their comedy. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig have certainly had their hits, especially Wiig with Bridesmaids, but they've chosen to do more offbeat projects in their spare time instead of starring typical comedy features. That approach is an excellent maneuver if it results in more movies like The Skeleton Twins.

Looking over their careers, it's interesting to note how few dramatic films Hader and Wiig have played a major part in. Now, of course The Skeleton Twins has numerous moments of levity, but its primarily a drama that deals with various deep themes like suicide and parenthood. Those elements are thankfully utilized in a tactful manner that feels natural to the world of the film instead of the worst case scenario where they become elements shoehorned in to concoct drama. But this is a film that is mostly innovative enough to not go down that route, instead finding compelling ways to display those dramatic moments as well as numerous other aspects of the film.

Since he's the first character in the film we meet, technically Milo, played by Bill Hader, is the focus of this feature, with his depressed outlook on life triggering the story. I'm actually kind of amazed at how well Milo is handled in the feature, since his relentlessly sarcastic demeanor is played up as such a prominent part of the character that he should be just a repelling figure impossible to invest in. But Hader plays Milo in a manner that adds an extremely effective layer of agony to the proceedings, making the character engaging in any scenario. Hader just aces the feature, with some of the quieter moments like one involving Milo recalling an old school mate he resented having this tremendous emotional impact.

Playing his twin sister Maggie, Kristen Wiig is no slouch either. The presence of Milo in her life for the first time in ten years has a noticeable impact on Maggie and all her recent decisions, and it's wonderful to watch Wiig play off the gradual effect Milo has on her life. Scenes with her and Hader have this uninhibited dynamic that feels very real for siblings, with humorous scenes between the duo feeling authentic, and arguments (especially one particularly devastating confrontation taking place towards the end of the film) similarly being handled in a terrific manner.

I'm kind of impressed this is only Craig Johnsons second feature length film he's directed, considering how terrific the acting is across the board and how nicely shot certain sequences are. The script he and Mark Heyman wrote is similarly successful, though it does contain some dramatic events in the finale that feel a bit lackluster and the final few seconds of the feature, which are very abrupt. Still, those criticisms are just minor things

The Skeleton Twins does a great job of managing to craft a very authentic sibling relationship, one filled with moments of euphoria and calamitous. The acting from Hader and Wiig are top-notch, the moments of sweetness (such as a scene involving Starships Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now) got a huge grin on my face and the more dramatic moments are remarkable. This is one movie I urge you not to miss.