The Skeleton Twins - A Movie Review

If you are ever feeling lost, remember that you are never alone.

The Skeleton Twins was released to theaters in 2014. Two estranged twins reunite after being apart for ten years. During their time, Milo and Maggie mend their bond, while at the same time learning about one another’s dark secrets.

Since I have become a big fan of Bill Hader’s work on films, I discovered The Skeleton Twins. I immediately fell in love with it. From beginning to end, the story centers on the important relationship between siblings. No matter how lost one ever feels, somebody will always be here to give you a shoulder to cry on.

Hader captures the emotion, instability, and sarcastic personality of Milo right from the start. Milo has been trying to understand the world for years, including himself. Milo’s sexuality is a huge part of the story and I like what positive messages it sends to viewers.

One of my favorite parts about Hader is how he loses himself to each character he plays. Hader studies his roles, finding different quirks, or complex personality traits to work with instead of just playing the same personality in each of his films.

Harboring insecurities of her own, Maggie refuses to be open about her life, letting herself feel unhappy and making poor decisions that make her feel worse. Kristen Wigg did a fantastic job and I loved her stone-face reactions to Milo’s jokes. I was impressed with how well she did in a serious role, manifesting great emotion.

Bill Hader and Kristen Wigg developed a genuine sibling bond. Whether it was arguing, telling each other their secrets, or laughing at jokes, I enjoyed every scene. Prepare yourselves for one of the most epic lip sync battles you will ever see on film. Now I cannot stop binge-watching Hader dancing around lip-syncing ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’.

I feel like Luke Wilson’s role is not talked about enough in The Skeleton Twins. Playing one of his usual stereotypes where he is not the most likable person acting as brash, loud, and voices his unnecessary opinions, he is not the villain. Lance is an accepting of Milo, patient, and respectful. He is a good person but doesn’t realize that he is making Maggie unhappy. Wilson’s emotional reaction in one scene surprised me, changing my opinion of his character.

Studying relationships, we witness the people who have had either a negative or positive effect on Milo and Maggie. Ty Burrell did a great job. The subtleties in his personality and backstory were well-acted. I also enjoyed performances by Boyd Holbrook, Joanne Gleason, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Adriane Lenox, Sydney Lucas, and Eddie Schweighardt.

Craig Johnson’s direction brought out a beautifully dark film that mixes comedy and drama very well. Johnson made the characters’ problems relatable. He edited a strong film with subtle nuances that foreshadowed important moments. The best part about The Skeleton Twins is the powerful sibling relationship between Milo and Maggie.

I believe that The Skeleton Twins is a movie that signifies the relationship between siblings. There need to be more movies about siblings. Of course, most movies have siblings fighting or not getting along, which can be the case, but having a sibling is one of the best gifts.

Fair warning that The Skeleton Twins has a dark atmosphere, centering around topics such as suicide, depression, and other deep issues. I recommend this movie because it has a very good story that needs to be told. I think everyone who watches is going to binge-watch Milo and Maggie’s lip-sync dance and even try to mimic their fun dance moves. I already have!