I enjoyed The Skeleton Twins, but not as much as I thought that I was going to. Trigger warning: there are multiple suicide attempts, and though not graphic, the film showed more than I expected. Also many situations felt depressingly realistic at times, which is high praise for a film, but does not necessarily make for easy viewing. Every character has amazing chemistry with the other, and the relationship interactions feel authentic-sometimes excruciatingly so. Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader make those excruciating moments manageable. Even when one is driving the other crazy, Wiig and Hader show a nugget of joy at being together and potentially being oneself. The Skeleton Twins’ story hinges on one point: suppose your peak was ages ago when you thought it was your worst moment? It is about self-destructive cycles and being unable or unwilling to break them. It is also about recognizing what is good and desperately holding on to that. Will they break the cycle? They’ll try. The sibling chemistry works because of the real life relationship between the main actors and their skills from Saturday Night Live, but it gets a smidge too close to a skit when scenes of random sibling joy lasts a tad too long. I would not recommend watching The Skeleton Twins if you are currently experiencing any malaise, but if you like independent films, enjoy the actors in the film and don’t mind psychological messiness, watch it.
Side note: what happened to CA goldfish?