Dead Ringers

Welcome to the womb.

Bodies, babies and blood.

These are three of my favourite things (in any kind of creative work). If you know my own fiction, you’ll know I love these themes.

Dead Ringers (Prime Video, 2023) is a reimagining of the film of the same name directed by body horror guru, David Cronenberg. Released in 1988 and starring Jeremy Irons as the Mantle Twins, this film epitomises the male gaze and the objectification of women. There is also a novel, based on the true story of the original twins, if you want to dig into the background.

Twins are inherently uncanny, two sides of the same coin, and yet, in reality, I don't agree with the trope of dominant and submissive twin. It's a trope that I’m sure Real-Life twins are sick of.

Having said that, in Dead Ringers, it works. Dominance becomes a storytelling device. It makes it digestible for the audience because there is potential for evil/power/corruption in all of us.

More often, identical twins present subjective dichotomies for readers or viewers. They become allegorical representations of either moral or religious struggles. They externalise the division between the socialised and the repressed selves or else the battle between good and evil. In this sense, evil twins are extensions of the trope of the double (doppelgänger) or shadow self. ¹

If you know Rachel Weisz’s career, you’ll know she is no stranger to playing twins (Constantine, 2005). In Dead Ringers, she offers a masterclass in character nuance.

During shooting, Weisz had to do every scene twice (or more if you consider retakes), as each character. Then the CGI team would fill in or superimpose it afterwards, creating a seamless experience. They also used body doubles, but these are so well disguised that our brains believe what is on the screen: That these women are twins, and are swept away in the scene.

This body doubling is been played up within the narrative. There are lots of scenes in mirrors, or other reflective devices. For me, this created a playfulness that showed a level of self-awareness of the trope and a willingness to push it to see what worked. And let’s face it, more of Rachel is no bad thing.

The fact is, this a show with a lot of talented people involved, but it's the right time to recreate this story of the Mantle twins for another reason.

The political environment and the policing of women’s bodies is a huge issue worldwide. In some countries, we seem to be reversing progress. In others, I know there is still not much autonomy at all. To have this show set in America and made at this time of repression and rights reversals is a subversive political statement in itself.

During some scenes I was reminded of The Handmaids Tale, there are echoes of it throughout with the use of colour and the debate within the storyline over women’s bodies.

In fact, the use of colour is exquisite. The sets, which mainly consist of the birthing centre and the twins’ apartment are all curves. Even the doors and doorways are arched, the windows are round. There are shades of pink everywhere. It is very gentle and womb-like. It feels safe. If you’ve ever been in a room which is that dusky warm pink, you’ll know what I mean. The sets lull us into a sense of security, but we are in the womb with the Mantle sisters, where things aren’t always as they seem.

Although it is somewhat gory in places, the visuals are stunning. The imagery in the series lays bear the horror and the unknown that is a woman’s body in the eyes of “medical experts” aka Men. Women are an undiscovered country, yet to be conquered and colonised. I think all of us can relate to that experience.

In the opening scene of episode one, another of these ideas/tropes about twins is brought out into the open. It’s an idea that many men (and I mean many cishet men) have about female twins, I don’t think I need to spell what I’m talking about. It is cuttingly dealt with and sets the tone for the whole show.

I knew after this scene that this was a televisual feast that seemed to have been made for me. This trope is dealt with because otherwise, it’d be the elephant in the room. I like to think that the team of writers (all women) put this in early on for the sheer joy, and purpose, of getting men to switch off who had just tuned in to see if there was anything of that order going on. Again, a type of activism.

The effect it had on me was that ten minutes in, I was cheering the Mantle twins on, ready to lap up the rest of what they had to offer.

I didn't even mention the soundtrack is excellent. It includes Joy Division, Eurythmics and The Doors and loads more that really fit the scenes they are played over, enhancing the subtext.

If you’ve watched Dead Ringers, let me know in the comments. I’d love to learn what you think of it.

1. Seeing double: the origins of the ‘evil twin’ in Gothic horror and Hollywood, by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes. Manchester Metropolitain University. Click here to read the full article.