Direct examples would reveal spoilers, so I’ll keep it vague: Unholy pacts, despicable traditions and unresting twins. The Twin isn’t shy about its horror visuals. Cree just rarely lives up to his end of the performative bargain as imagination and reality collide in Elliot’s bedroom (Nate’s empty mattress is a morbid centerpiece). That’s not to discredit Palmer’s interactions within frightful setups like mirror jump scares, or clear examples of demonic intervention-Palmer carries long stretches of The Twin. There’s an obvious “Crazy Wife” and “Sane Dad” dynamic that The Twin struggles to execute past the same generic employments done over and over by countless horror tales. Palmer is the disbelieved housewife ranting about a possibly possessed son Cree shakes his head, smiles with neighbors and attempts to write in peace as an author dragged down by family predicaments. That said, there’s always something off-kilter about the balance of the performances. Rachel, Anthony and Elliot effectively bicker at home about possible ghosts or tainted memories, sneaking ritualistic implications into an otherwise spiritual tale. Helen’s grandmotherly calmness warms this soothing balm but only for a few minutes-she doubles down on the uncomfortable vibes that Mustonen softly stokes throughout Rachel’s increasingly worrisome breakdown. Actress Barbara Marten plays the important pot-stirring role of Helen, Rachel’s English-speaking ally. The Twin establishes these ties by introducing a quaint Finnish community’s elders at Rachel and Anthony’s welcome party, where few speak English and townsfolk stare ominous gazes like in any “outsiders at risk” thriller. Mustonen’s influences run rampant, from the charming cultish wilds of The Wicker Man or Midsommar to something sinister like Brandon Christensen’s Still/Born, where a mother must protect her living offspring from its undead sibling. The house begins to fill with symbolic reminders of Nate, and that’s when Elliot starts acting strange-like his brother is still around, somehow in communication. He prays the distance will help Rachel’s condition improve, but her inability to function after Nate’s death worsens. Rachel struggles to cope daily, so Anthony relocates his family to Finland’s isolated countryside. While their son Elliot (Tristan Ruggeri) is still very alive, his twin Nate recently passed away during a tragic accident.

Teresa Palmer and Steven Cree reunite after A Discovery of Witches, playing grieving spouses Rachel and Anthony. The Twin builds mysterious dread rooted in paranormal possessions and possible cult activity, but its ill-serving payoff vaporizes the crippling weight of loss fastened to each character. Mustonen and co-writer Aleksi Hyvärinen explore the depths of grief through Finnish haunted house means-a family rebuilds in woodland isolation-until their third act sinks faster than a lead Titanic. Fans of Jaume Collet-Serra’s Orphan or Nicholas McCarthy’s The Prodigy will feel at home when The Twin’s adoring parents notice obscure traits displayed by their otherwise angelic children.

For a majority of Taneli Mustonen’s The Twin, folklore darkly colors jolt-inspiring maternal horrors from moonlit shadows.

Twin mirror synopsis