When I saw that Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader were starring in the film “The Skeleton Twins,” I didn’t expect that it would open with them on the brink of death, by their own hands nonetheless.
The comedy-drama opens with Milo (Bill Hader) drinking heavily. He drops a picture frame into an aquarium minutes before slitting his wrists in a bathtub. The film proceeds to cut to Maggie (Kristen Wiig) merely seconds away from shoving a handful of pills down her throat. However, she’s taken back when an unknown number calls. It turns out to be the hospital, calling to informing her that her twin Milo just attempted suicide as well.
Maggie is a dental hygienist from New York who is unhappily married to Lance (Luke Wilson), an outdoorsman who is oblivious to her depression and yearns to expand his family. Milo is a failed actor who waits tables at a tourist restaurant in Los Angeles. Milo and Maggie are estranged twins that haven’t talked since their father committed suicide ten years prior. The pair help each other through the course of the film.
Maggie is withdrawn and depressed; she takes birth control when she’s supposedly trying to have a child with her husband. In the meantime, Milo is attempting to rekindle a toxic relationship with Rich (Ty Burrell).
What I like about “The Skeleton Twins” is that it deals with such dark elements, but it’s not brooding. There are so many films out there that deal with suicide in such a serious manner that it gets repetitive over time. The comedic elements throughout the film make it stand out and kept me engaged. For example, in one scene, Maggie will be baring her soul. But in the next scene she’s getting high off of laughing gas and making jokes with her brother. Maggie and Milo are miserable throughout the course of the film, but when I left the theater, I felt the complete opposite.
The Skeleton Twins is now playing at The Downer Theatre.