Dead Ringers was a dark and bizarre masterpiece from 1988, fictionalizing the remarkable story of gynecologist twins who died together. Many people call it a horror movie, which is somewhat suspicious. Yes, it’s directed by David Cronenberg, the body horror author behind it The fly And Videodromeand yes, it has its trademark sense of dread and tortured boredom.
And yet there are none of the three heavy hallmarks of horror: murder, monsters, or mayhem. In the end, one imagines it to be the mere fact Dead Ringers was so intensely focused on gynaecology, vaginas and births, which is why it “shocked” so many viewers.
35 years later, it will be curious what people think of the new Prime video miniseries adaptation of the film, also titled Dead Ringers. Especially since it’s a doubling of those decidedly feminine elements that scared so many viewers of Cronenberg’s classic. This time the twins (Elliott and Beverly Mantle) are portrayed by women and the gynecology is even more explicit and outspoken.
Indeed, this series is perhaps the ultimate nightmare of the patriarchy, a veritable horror show for many viewers. However, regardless of gender and ideology, it is exquisite. It’s a dark, arguably nihilistic look at two brilliant doctors whose lives were linked at birth, and when something threatens that connection, tragedy and chaos ensue. Dead Ringers may be decidedly niche and a little too mysterious for its own good, but it’s a wonderfully unsettling, dark treat for anyone interested.
Dead Ringers from Life to Screen to Prime Video
Dead Ringers is very loosely based on the true story of gynecologist twins and drug addicts whose lives were mysterious, sad and gruesome. In Cronenberg’s film, which utilized revolutionary split-screen technology, Jeremy Irons’ performances provided a sophisticated and disturbing take on obsession, codependency, and addiction that largely adhered to (though dramatized) the true story. The new Prime Video series, led by the fascinating Alice Birch, scraps much of the original story and instead depicts a genuine phantasmagoria of pain and misery.
Dead Ringers still continues the bold red color pattern of the original show and similarly utilizes a brilliant double performance from a great actor – Rachel Weisz. Weisz is phenomenal in every conceivable way. Her work as Elliott and Beverly is probably the best leading television performance in years.
Creating two completely different individuals, Weisz masters both the similarities and the differences between the aggressive and pompous Elliott and the more professional and demure Beverly. Even when one of her characters pretends to play the other character, she is utterly masterful.
A disturbing pair of twins
That’s a good thing, because the relationship between the two Mantle sisters is the most important part of Dead Ringers. The way they depend on, understand, and oppress each other is central to both the plot and the series’ more disturbing themes. They live together, use drugs together, pretend to be each other and exchange sexual partners; Elliott continues to try to impregnate her sister with experimental embryos, while Beverly suffers miscarriage after miscarriage.
However, once Beverly falls in love with someone (Britne Oldford as Genevieve, who takes on the role of Geneviève Bujold in the film), her codependent relationship with Elliott begins to break down. Like a machine or a symbiotic organism, everything falls apart once an outside body is introduced into their setup. This has an outward rippling effect as the two women are in charge of a burgeoning medical facility dedicated to obstetrics and gynaecology. Everything and everyone in their orbit is darkly affected.
The nihilism of Dead Ringers
For the biggest part, Dead Ringers makes great use of its running time as a miniseries. Three times longer than the original film, Dead Ringers takes the time to explore each character and their world. We get a depressing glimpse into the lives of these women, their families, their relationships, and their patients, and the show relishes the time it can dedicate to morbid, possibly nihilistic themes.
While some people consider childbirth to be miraculous, Dead Ringers explores it as a mess of flesh; there is a coldness to the biological perspective, exposing actual labor as a blood-soaked nightmare, while adding a kind of cosmic pessimism to the never-ending birth cycle of the ‘matryoshka doll’.
Nobody is happy inside Dead Ringers, and whenever they come close to that emotion, it spells doom for others. Life is an endless succession of petty apocalypses and mini misery in the series, and the ongoing birth of the human species is placed in a bleak, hostile context. In brief, Dead Ringers speaks the language of misanthropy and can no doubt connect with the many people who hate the world.
Sub-par subplots don’t stop Dead Ringers
Whenever Dead Ringers floats from the Mantle twins, but things are either starting to lose steam or become so puzzling that they’re not worth investing in. Several subplots and side characters can flesh out the series in six hours, but sometimes, Dead Ringers is far too mysterious for its own good. When the show revolves around the admittedly mesmerizing Poppy Liu as Greta, an assistant and maid of sorts to the Mantles, it seems unable to solidify its purpose for hours on end. The same can be said with multiple supporting characters, all played skillfully but miserably wasted.
In addition, the dialogue sometimes suffers from what could be called “the Seth Rogen issue” – the addition of a ridiculously unnecessary amount of profanity that makes the dialogue feel forced and awkward. We’re all adults, and no one cares if anyone says the F-word, but it becomes something of a conversation aid and a soft spot in the series’ dialogue.
Fortunately, those are mostly minor details in a show expertly put together by good directors (by Sean Durkin, Karyn Kusama, Lauren Wolkstein, and Karena Evans). There’s an extremely unique and brooding tone to the show, one that will make audiences root against the human condition and possibly hate life itself. Yes, it’s a dark, morbid and enchanting series about twisted but brilliant minds in a twisted but beautiful world. It’s an intense, aesthetically rich and hypnotic experience, if you can handle it. It may not be horror, but it is horrifying in its own beautiful way.
Dead Ringers is produced by Amazon Studios, Annapurna Television and Morgan Creek Entertainment and will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting April 21.