This is my least favorite type of movie.

I call them ‘sad swamps.’ Trekking through can be an emotional chore. For comparison, 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. Moreover, don’t expect it to relent. Plus, it’s an out-and-out quirkedy, and super low budget.

Nevertheless, I really enjoy The Skeleton 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. What’s more, we’ve still got the sequels to Hot Tub Time Machine and D&D to look forward to.

The Skeleton Twins is actually similar to Let’s Be Cops in several ways. For instance, take the shooting style. 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 even so, it’s a misleading inconsistency. Likewise, the comedy is similar, because a lot of it seems improvised.

The cast is tiny. Besides the two leads, there are only a pair of other recognizable faces.

Ty Burrell is one of our finest actors working today. Once again, he turns in a 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, importantly, 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. His wide-eyed expression, brutal honesty, and even-toned sarcasm — not to mention his mastery of lip-syncing and impromptu dancing — totally sold me on his character.

Kristen Wiig is spot-on, as always. Her timing is just so perfect. Additionally, she has a way of demanding sympathy from the viewer. That woman’s got the Midas touch. She only appears in great movies.

All things considered, although it takes an emotional toll (I was tearing up on two or three separate occasions during the 93-minute runtime), The Skeleton Twins is a very funny movie that covers a number of timely issues. Therefore, 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.

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

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Briefer takes at IMDb & Letterboxd.