9 Stars

This is my least favorite type of movie.

I call them ‘sad swamps.’ Trekking through can be an emotional chore.

The best examples coming to mind are The Fault in Our Stars (thumbs-down) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (thumbs-up).

The Skeleton Twins is no exception; there’s some heartbreaking stuff in here. Don’t expect it to relent, either.

Plus it’s an out-and-out quirkedy, and super low budget.

All that being said, I really enjoy The Skele Twins.

Wow, comedy has flourished this summer.

On top of Neighbors, 22 Jump Street and Let’s Be Cops; The ST brings the tally to four consistently hilarious entries for the genre.

Plus, we’ve still got the sequels to Hot Tub Time Machine and Dumb & Dumbr looking forward.

The Skeleton Twins is similar to Let’s Be Cops in several ways.

Take the shooting style for instance. The edges of the frame are oftentimes hazy with only the characters in focus.

During a scene near the end, through a window in the background the viewer can see it’s snowing outside. It’s hard to tell because of the blurry visual, but it’s a misleading inconsistency.

The comedy is similar as well, because a lot of it seems improvised.

The cast is tiny.

Besides the two leads, there’s only a pair of other recognizable faces.

Ty Burrell is one of our finest actors working today. Here he turns in another performance befitting that reputation.

Luke Wilson is outstanding. He’s great in a number of movies (especially Idiocracy) but this may be his best role ever.

He plays a refreshingly sympathetic husband to Kristen Wiig’s character. Which is illustrative of a greater theme.

The Skeleton Twins highlights compelling character interactions through the context of a complicated relationship.

Bill Hader is incredibly convincing playing a gay role. In fact, he is so similar to my college roommate, I found myself reminiscing about my old buddy.

With his wide-eyed expression, the brutal honesty and even-toned sarcasm. Oh and the mastery of lip-syncing and impromptu dancing. I was totally sold on his character.

Kristen Wiig is spot-on, as always.

Her timing is just so perfect. Plus she has a way with demanding sympathy from the viewer.

That woman’s got the Midas touch. She only appears in great movies.

Although it takes an emotional toll (I was tearing up on 2-3 separate occasions in the 93 minute duration) The Skeleton Twins is a very funny movie that covers a number of timely issues.

I highly recommend it to any and all interested viewers.

To note a final similarity to Let’s Be Cops, the ending doesn’t necessarily wrap everything up.

But when the credits abruptly roll, getting mired in this sad swamp feels worthwhile.