The Silent Twins

Unsettling and stylistically daring, The Silent Twins tells the true story of twin sisters June and Jennifer Gibbons (Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance), based on the homonymous book by Marjorie Wallace. The two communicate with each other – and only with each other – through mysterious channels that no one else has access to. As victims of systemic racism, bullied and ostracised by their white peers, they find a safe refuge inside their idiosyncratic, inner worlds, populated by a colourful and at times eerie set of fictional characters, from a young man drawing in Pepsi Cola to two freedom-seeking parrots, along with an unlucky couple who would do really anything to save their dying baby. These characters live both inside the sisters’ minds and on paper, as they both dream of becoming best-selling authors. 

June and Jennifer’s relationship is complex to say the least. They love each other in an obsessive way, co-existing as two inseparable halves whilst also showing a destructive, rageful desire to annihilate one another, as if by destroying her sister, the other can then break free. However, none of that is truly and deeply explored in the movie. The plot consists of a series of events that only show the consequences of the twins’ actions and their reactions, with no actual digging into the reasons behind their behaviours, the complexities of sisterhood, and the deep emotional and psychological pain they are suffering. The film’s main fault, in fact, is that it does not offer the viewer many opportunities to profoundly engage with or relate to the characters and their different journeys.  

With exquisite cinematography, a great soundtrack and some beautiful (and heartbreaking) stop motion animation segments, the director paints two fascinating portraits, but doesn’t quite manage to create pathos and delve deeply into the characters’ tortured minds: their thoughts, wants and desires. It’s all hinted at, suggested, but not truly unpacked.   

Overall, there are some threads missing from this tapestry of erratic thoughts and emotions. If the cinematography, weirdly compelling aesthetic and wonderful performances draw the viewer in, the writing and pacing lack the depth and pathos necessary to seal the deal. 

Benedetta Mancusi

The Silent Twins is released nationwide on 9^th December 2022.

Watch the trailer for The Silent Twins here: