Dead Ringers (1988)

Cronenberg's follow up to his eponymous version of The Fly (1986) concerns the lives of a pair of identical twins both played by Jeremy Irons. The twins are both gynecologists, and use the fact that no-one can tell them apart to their full advantage, until their relationship begins to deteriorate when they meet Claire, an actress. Elliot is by far the most confident of the two, whereas Beverly struggles with the morality of the twins' approach; and these struggles are worsened dramatically when Beverly begins to fall in love with Claire. Cronenberg's style is eerie and grey here, and the film plays out in a very low key fashion, certainly in comparison to Cronenberg's brash body horrors. And considering the Mantle twins occupation revolves around examining female reproductive organs you might be forgiven for assuming which way Dead Ringers is going. Irons' performance is astonishing, it beggars belief that he wasn't Oscar nominated for this, his portrayal of twins who both reach drug addiction from opposite ends of the journey is as immersive as it is restrained. The use of full body violent red overalls in the operating room of their practice dazzles in its extremism against the otherwise grey, dreary look of the film, adding to its shock value. Shots of the twins together on screen were among the first to use computer controlled moving-matte photography, and the effect is stunning. It looks no less real than if the film was made today. Dead Ringers is up their with Cronenberg's very best, and it's made even more impressive by having the creepy feel of a horror without ever venturing into the tropes of the genre, on top of a truly great performance from Irons. 8.3/10