Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Creepily effective psychological horror tale about grief.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Where to Watch
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The Twin
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE TWIN, Rachel (Teresa Palmer) and Anthony (Steven Cree)—mourning the loss of their young son, Nathan—move to Finland with their surviving son, Nathan's twin, Elliot (Tristan Ruggeri). While exploring, the family happens on a "wishing wall," and Elliot makes a secret wish. Not long after, he starts speaking to an "imaginary friend" and eventually insists that he is now Nathan, and Elliot is "gone." Rachel seeks help from Helen (Barbara Marten), a local who seems to be at odds with her fellow townspeople. Helen tells Rachel about some of the town's darker secrets ... but there are even darker secrets yet to be revealed.
Is It Any Good?
The sign of a good plot twist is that it still makes sense in reverse; that's not exactly the case in this psychological horror tale, but it gets bonus points for strong characters and performances. Directed and co-written by Finnish filmmaker Taneli Mustonen (Lake Bodom), The Twin spends a lot of time and space delving into Rachel's grief. Setting the story in Finland, where the townspeople form a tight-knit group that's superstitious and distrusting of outsiders, casts Rachel as more or less totally alone. (Her husband, who comes from this community, never really seems to be there for her.) She's also re-doubled her motherly instincts and focuses them all on Elliot, going overboard to make sure that he's safe. The unfamiliar spaces, ominous and chilling, also contribute to the overall mood. When Elliot first claims to be Nathan, it's soul-chilling, not just because it's shocking, but also because it can't be proven one way or the other. As it creeps toward its ending, The Twin can't help but get lost in a twist that, going backward, doesn't make much sense, but there's enough strong material in The Twin to make it worth a viewing ... or two.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Twin's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Did you find the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How does the movie deal with grief? What could the grieving characters have done differently?
How well does the movie's "twist" work? Why are twists so popular? What elements make for a good twist?
How does the film use its setting, the Finnish countryside, to help tell the story?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 6, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : May 6, 2022
- Cast : Teresa Palmer , Barbara Marten , Tristan Ruggeri
- Director : Taneli Mustonen
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : RLJE Films , Shudder
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 109 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : March 2, 2025
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