It’s such a treat to discover that a comedian turns out to be a really good actor in serious roles. But such a discovery has never floored me the way that Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader did in 2014’s The Skeleton Twins. He is absolutely heartbreaking as a lonely, depressed guy who, after a suicide attempt, reconnects with his estranged twin sister (Kristen Wiig, another brilliant comic who does drama well). From my review at the time:
Milo’s journey back to some semblance of sanity and acceptance of himself and the disappointments of his life ends up mirroring, in some ways, the screwed-up-ness that Maggie is forced to acknowledge about herself, too. Stories about brother-sister relationships are rare enough — another reason I love this movie — and this one is totally gorgeous, in a biting, mordant way, about how a shared childhood can make siblings the best of friends… as long as you can live with the fact that your best friend knows all your secrets, such as how shitty your childhood was.
I love this movie so much — it’s funny and sad and wise and wonderful — and I hope you will, too.
US: stream on Kanopy; rent/buy on Prime and Apple TV
UK: rent/buy on Prime and Apple TV
See The Skeleton Twins at Letterboxd for more viewing options.
