The Skeleton Twins (2014)
80%RT Audience Score: 69%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 12 nominations
Led by powerful performances from Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins effectively mines laughs and tears from family drama
The Skeleton Twins is like that one family reunion where you’re laughing and crying at the same time. Wiig and Hader’s performances are the highlight of the movie, making you forget that you’re watching a film about two dysfunctional siblings. The lip sync dance off to Jefferson Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now is a scene that will have you hitting the replay button. While the ending may leave you wanting more, the journey is worth it. Overall, The Skeleton Twins is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good character study with a side of humor.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Lakeshore Entertainment, Malpaso Productions,
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Nyack, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some sexuality and drug use
Year of Release
2014
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 31m
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Language(s):English, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 2014 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2014
Genre(s)
Lgbtq+
Keyword(s)
starring Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Joanna Gleason, directed by Craig Johnson, written by Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman, LGBTQ+, family drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Sims, Mark Kermode, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Geoffrey Macnab, Wendy Ide, Peter Bradshaw, Richard Crouse, Mike Massie, Stephen A Russell, Joanne Laurier, Brent McKnight, Chris McCoy, produced by Stephanie Langhoff, Jennifer Lee, Jacob Pechenik, R-rated, suicide, depression, dysfunctional family, sibling relationship, middle age, marriage, first love, truthfulness, acceptance, Roadside Attractions
Worldwide gross: $5,776,640
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,219,340
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,065
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 787,278
US/Canada gross: $5,284,309
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,604,050
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,728
US/Canada opening weekend: $380,691
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $475,768
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,423
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Kristen Wiig – Maggie
Luke Wilson – Lance
Ty Burrell – Rich
Boyd Holbrook – Billy
Joanna Gleason – Judy
Director – Craig Johnson
Producers – Stephanie Langhoff, Jennifer Lee, Jacob Pechenik
Writers – Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman
Director(s)
Craig Johnson
Writer(s)
Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman
Producer(s)
Stephanie Langhoff, Jennifer Lee, Jacob Pechenik
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 12 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (168) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (145) | Rotten (23)
Despite occasional charming moments and a generally solid ensemble, The Skeleton Twins doesn’t distinguish itself in any memorable way.
September 22, 2016
David Sims
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Suicide is no laughing matter, but there are some wry smiles in this changeably moody indie-pic about self-destructive siblings.
November 9, 2014
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
How can you not love something that gives Wiig so much scope?
November 7, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
There is the risk of a credibility gap when charismatic and successful stars play ultra- dysfunctional types. That’s why Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig never quite convince as Milo and Maggie, twins on the cusp of middle age.
November 6, 2014
Geoffrey Macnab
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The laughs are here, but they are tempered by bruising regrets and simmering grudges in this elegant study of a sibling relationship in crisis.
November 6, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
[An] entertaining, bleak comedy-drama …
November 6, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
An interesting and funny character study for much of its 93 minute running time, but the ending feels almost as if the production ran out of money and shut down before they figured out a satisfactory conclusion.
February 1, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
An exhausting succession of dramatic happenings that leave little room for periodic small wins.
December 4, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
It will have you guffawing wildly at a perfectly judged lip synch dance off to Jefferson Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now one minute, then sobbing surreptitiously into your sleeve.
August 26, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Stephen A. Russell
The New Daily (Australia)
The film’s depiction of the chronic discontent of middle class America is little more than a background prop.
August 13, 2020
Joanne Laurier
World Socialist Web Site
No one blows up your life quite like family.
July 7, 2020 | Rating: B
Brent McKnight
The Last Thing I See
The Skeleton Twins is Wiig and Hader’s movie.. They take what could have been stock indie characters and created two broken, funny, fully realized people. Watching them play together is sheer joy, something that indie films and Hollywood need more of.
January 8, 2020
Chris McCoy
Memphis Flyer…
Plot
After ten years of estrangement, twins Maggie and Milo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront how their lives went so wrong. As the twins’ reunion reinvigorates them both, they realize that the key to fixing their lives just may lie in fixing their relationship with each other.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig’s performances are praised as “outstanding” in The Skeleton Twins.
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