The original 1988 Dead Ringers was a tour-de-force movie for both director David Cronenberg and star Jeremy Irons. Like all Cronenberg’s work, it was deeply weird. When I read that it was being remade, gender swapped, turned into a series, and starting Rachel Weisz, I was not sure what to think.
Now that I have seen it, I think the best thing the showrunner did was hire Rachel Weisz.
In the hands of any other actor, this show would have been a grotesque, still-born, freak show. Weisz, however, brings the whole show to life. Her dual performance of both sides of the gynecologist Mantle twins is a master course in acting. Her performance is both satisfying and disturbing for its pure creepiness. She nails every tone, tick, and nuance with the eerie ookieness of an AI engine that is a little too good inside the uncanny valley. Weisz is the show.
However, when you look past Weisz, the show is hurting. The other performances are good but uneven. Jennifer Ehle’s immoral capitalist scum is fun and satisfying. She balances the right amount of charm and sleaze. Beverly’s love interest, Genevieve (Britne Oldford) starts strong, but fizzles out as the show goes on. Michael McKean shows up for one episode, steals every scene, and then never returns. I would have liked to have seen more of him. Emily Meade’s bizarre performance as a supremely self-absorbed, entitled brat needed to be dialed back a few drinks.
Where the show really shits the bed is the story. It is a muddled, blotchy clot of narratives and questionable direction choices. Story lines get started and then wander off down the hall. Characters come and go with opaque motivations. For example, the twin’s housekeeper, Greta (Poppy Lui) has a whole side story that has something to do with art and missing her dad. It felt like the showrunner had another show in mind with her and tacked it on to this one as filler. The show also had four different directors all going in slightly different directions.
Then there is the bonkers, wince-inducing conclusion. I think I know how it ended, but honestly, I am not sure. I will not give it away, but the final episode is anxiety inducing. I can only imagine it is even more wince-inducing for women.
Is it worth watching? Yes. For no other reason than to watch Weisz performance and get creeped out.
It is a worthy remake? Meh. Gender swapping the Mantel twins was brilliant. It gave the entire story a weirder more poignant substructure. However, the longer runtime hurt the narrative.
Incidentally, the original movie is based on a real-life Marcus twin gynecologists from the 1970s.
While it is not as weird as the original, there is a lot to admire in this remake. You only need to look past the botched story.
