- Directed by David Cronenberg
- Written by David Cronenberg, Norman Snider, Bari Wood
- Stars Jeremy Irons, Genevieve Bujold, Heidi von Palleske
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 56 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZHbu3msmes
Spoiler-Free Judgement Zone
It’s not horror in the least except for maybe one scene, but it is a fascinating psychological thriller that walks the line between drug addiction and just plain insanity.
Synopsis
Back in 1954, a pair of twins talk about what sex would be like if humans were fish. They ask a neighbor kid to have sex with them in the bathtub. She reacts poorly. Then they go home and operate on a toy body.
In 1967, the twins, Elliot and Beverly, are in medical school. The professor gets annoyed when they use a customized medical instrument. He says it’s fine for cadavers, but won’t work on living patients. Not long after, the school is praising them for inventing the new instrument, which has brought glory to the school.
In 1988, one of the twins examines Claire and finds that she has a couple of parts that aren’t supposed to be there. She’s a trifurcate; she has three cervixes. She’s a famous actress in town for a miniseries. The two brothers switch on and off between seeing patients and doing social engagements; no one can tell the difference between them. Tonight, one of the brothers, Elliot, goes home with Claire.
Bev, the other brother, goes to Claire’s house in the morning. He tells her that she can’t ever bear children. She’s not surprised.
Elliot is a playboy, while Bev is more bookish. Bev goes to see Claire again, and this time, they play doctor together. Later, Bev doesn’t want to share with Elliot. Elliot starts to rib Bev over their relationship. Claire offers Beverly amphetamines, but he says he never takes drugs. Elliot thinks she’s just hustling for drugs, or so he tells Bev. Claire thinks Bev has gotten suddenly schizophrenic, and she can’t tell why. Sometimes she really likes him and sometimes he’s just a good lay. He distracts her with pills.
Friend Laura asks Claire about what she’s been doing with those Mantle twins, which is news to Claire. Claire didn’t know they were twins; that explains a lot, doesn’t it? She’s very understandably creeped out. Bev’s evasive when she wants to meet his brother, but he finally agrees for a meeting between the three of them, although it seems likely that she knows exactly what’s been going on.
They all meet, and yeah, she knows. It goes badly for all of them. Bev cries, but Elliot laughs. They obviously have different feelings for Claire.
The two doctors cause a bit of a stir during an award ceremony that evening. Elliot is fine, but Beverly is very, very drunk and says way too much on stage. It’s becoming clear that Bev is jealous of Elliot’s success, while he does all the real work.
Bev runs into Claire later on, and they do manage to make up. He has a dream that he and Elliot are conjoined, and she literally tears them apart with her teeth.
Elliot hires twin escorts to play with; he doesn’t quite seem all there any more either. Bev starts getting the shakes during surgery, and he doesn’t want to get up in the mornings. Drugs are starting to affect him. He’s very clingy with Claire but she has her own career.
Claire has a talk with Elliot, and she tells him about Bev’s problems. Elliot calls her a “confusing element in the Mantle brothers’ saga.” He tries to come onto her, but she doesn’t want to go there. Claire then goes away for ten weeks for a new film shoot.
Bev calls Claire’s suite. Her secretary answers and, thinking Claire is cheating on him, he graphically explains to the guy that she has a mutant vagina. Elliot says, “What did you expect? She’s a showbiz lady.” Before long, Elliot, Bev, and Elliot’s girlfriend, Cary, have a three-way dance, but Bev collapses and ends up in the hospital.
Elliot knows it’s the drugs, but Bev doubts that he’s addicted. Bev has to go back to the office and do procedures, but it becomes apparent that he’s lost his touch. Elliot starts to wonder just how messed up Bev really is.
Bev goes to see Mr. Wollack, an artist in metal. Bev has drawings of new surgical instruments. He’s designed gynecological equipment for mutant women. He wants Wollack to build them for him. Bev’s office receptionist catches him shooting up in the office and quits.
In surgery one day, Bev whips out the special instruments, and the assisting nurses are horrified. He freaks out and starts huffing the anesthetic— during the surgery. That goes badly. Elliot tries to do damage control, but they lose their surgical privileges at the hospital. Elliot didn’t know about the special surgical equipment. Bev is cracking up saying that none of the women are right inside any more – he had to try something extreme.
Elliot starts popping the pills because of the stress. Cary warns Elliot that he should get someone else to help with Bev, as he’s too close to the situation. Elliot acts like he’s conjoined with Bev.
Claire returns. Bev goes to see her, but he can barely walk. He sees copies of his surgical designs in an art gallery – the metal crafter presents them as his own creation – and Bev steals several of them. He tells Claire that the tools are for separating Siamese twins. A week passes at Claire’s house, and Elliot doesn’t call or come looking for Bev, which is confusing. Bev seems to have sobered up a bit and goes looking for Elliot.
Bev returns, and their office is a disaster. Yes, Elliot’s addicted now, too. They get high as a kite and promise each other they’re going to get sober… on Monday. The two of them decide that it’s a good idea to separate the “Siamese twins”, using the special tools. Bev sedates Elliot and then starts cutting. They start referring to each other as Chang and Eng, the most famous of Siamese twins as Elliot bleeds to death.
Bev wakes up and mentions he’s had the most horrible dream, but it wasn’t a dream. Bev cleans himself up and dies too.
Commentary
It’s really hard to tell where the insanity ends and the drug addiction begins. Those red operating gowns really stand out. If real surgeons wore those, having an operation would be a lot more fun.
Jeremy Irons plays both brothers, and the effect is done really well. This was an age before CGI, so it’s all created with camera tricks, body doubles, and multiple takes. After a while, though, you can tell, by body language and persona, which brother is on the screen at any point. Irons did a masterful acting job.
It’s long, and it’s not particularly horror, except for a couple of brief body-horror scenes. Still, it’s very entertaining watching Bev spiral down further and further and how that all resolves. I like it, but would have to say it’s more of a psychological thriller than any kind of horror.