Dead Ringers (1988)
Twisted twin gynecologists' obsession spirals into madness. Ideal for fans of psychological thrillers; not for the faint-hearted.
Genres: Thriller, Horror
Cast
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- Cast member 2
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Dead Ringers(1988)
Overview
Elliot, a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly. Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly, the meeker of the two, without the woman knowing the difference. Beverly falls hard for one of the patients, Claire, but when she inadvertently deceives him, he slips into a state of madness.
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Cast
Full Cast & Crew
Jeremy Irons
Beverly Mantle / Elliot Mantle

Geneviève Bujold
Claire Niveau

Heidi von Palleske
Cary

Barbara Gordon
Danuta

Shirley Douglas
Laura

Stephen Lack
Wolleck / Anders Wolleck

Nick Nichols
Leo

Lynne Cormack
Arlene

Damir Andrei
Birchall

Miriam Newhouse
Mrs. Bookman

David Hughes
Superintendent

Richard W. Farrell
Dean of Medicine

Warren Davis
Anatomy Class Supervisor

Marsha Moreau
Raffaella

Denis Akiyama
Pharmacist

Dee McCafferty
Surgeon

Jane Luk
Lecture-Hall Nurse

Jill Hennessy
Mimsy

David Cronenberg
Obstetrician (uncredited)

Bob Bainborough
Mr. Glaser
Featured Comments/Tips
I'm glad I'm not a drug addicted doctor with a twin. Being a drug addicted doctor is difficult enough.
The movie comes full circle psychologically at the end. You are left with something thought provoking and sad. Irons performance is incredible.
I only watched this for background to the new Prime show of the same name. It doesn't have the scare factor of a usual Cronenberg movie.
In “Dead Ringers,” Jeremy Irons plays a double role as the twins Elliot and Beverly, who have made a name for themselves as gynecologists. Both have very different personalities and yet are so much alike that their patients and people close to them can hardly tell them apart, which they often shamelessly exploit. For director David Cronenberg, the movie is surprisingly mild in terms of effects, but some body horror is certainly present. However, it is primarily the moral decay of the two brothers that forms the basis for the horror. Irons plays both roles superbly, especially when things really go downhill for both of them at some point. However, I was less enthusiastic about the other roles. And at least the start of the movie could have been a bit more brisk. Apart from that, “Dead Ringers” is definitely worth a look.
I skipped it in the 80s for a reason. Could've lived longer not watching it. Jeremy Irons did an excellent role though.
“Dead Ringers” sees a more restrained Cronenberg stepping away from most of his usual body horror tropes to focus on brooding psychodrama. The intentions are good, but unfortunately, the movie itself came out as rather pretentious and naive. It's not terrible, but it could have been so much more. Still worth being remembered for the sexy red gowns and Jeremy Irons’ performance.
Excellent but disturbing movie based on true events with a brilliant Jeremy Irons in a double role.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Dead Ringers’: 1. I _also_ had a difficult time telling the two brothers apart. Sometimes I wasn’t sure who I was watching, and the film made me feel like I was supposed to know. Mildly frustrating. Still, Jeremy Irons was pretty good at playing double duty. 2. With Cronenberg as director, I was expecting more. Not sure what exactly… just more. 3. Meh. That’s all I’ve really got. I can see how some people would appreciate this. It was just aight in my opinion. Not incredibly memorable.
Two twins with strange habits.
Ugh, what a snoozefest. I just couldn'#39;t find any enjoyement out of this at all. It'#39;s so slow, boring, and dumb. The plot went nowhere. It'#39;s not bizzare, weird, and artistic like most of Cronenberg'#39;s works and it'#39;s not even a horror film. Jeremy Irons plays double characters, as much as I appreciate his effort, the acting isn'#39;t anything remarkable. The characters are annoying. It'#39;s scary the fact that Claire'#39;s in love with Beverly after they shared her without her knowing. That'#39;s beyond disgusting. There'#39;s one particular scene that I like, when Bev'#39;s having a bad dream about his and Elliot'#39;s conjoined bodies. That'#39;s so sick!
Underrated film about the darkness in all relationships and ask the question are any of us beyond being co-dependent?
'#34;Dead Ringers'#34; (1988) is one of those films you recognize not by its name but by its strange unusual art cover. Definitely one for the twins.
Not seen it yet but how can the women not know the difference when the twins are a man 'amp; a woman? Elliot 'amp; Beverly? Is Beverly a cross dressing man who just calls himself Beverly? Strange plot.
Featured User Reviews

I've often thought that there should be beauty contests for the insides of bodies. Dead Ringers is directed by David Cronenberg who also co-adapts the screenplay with Norman Snider from the book "Twins" written by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. It stars Jeremy Irons and Genevieve Bujold. Music is by Howard Shore and cinematography by Peter Suschitzky. Identical twin gynaecologists Beverly and Elliott Mantle (Irons) run a high end fertility clinic in the city. Both in tune with each in spite of being different personalities, their world starts to fold inwards when Beverly falls in love with drug dependent actress Claire Niveau (Bujold). Inspired by the real life story of gynaecologist twins Cyril and Steve Marcus (who were both found dead from suicide brought about by drug addiction), Dead Ringers is an amalgamation of unsettling horror and icy cold playfulness; in other words a perfect canvas for auteur Cronenberg to paint some of his peccadilloes. Cronenberg doesn't need to be gory, gimmicky or schlocky, he instead utilises the characters on the page to spin a clinical character study. Themes pulsing throughout involve individuality, identity, misogyny, narcissism, eroticism and addiction, all played out in the mystical world of surgery and in-human metaphysics. The tempo never rises above a steady heart beat, rumbling along ominously, until we enter the home straight and the director delivers a devastating yet deeply moving conclusion. Backed by a stunning dual performance from Irons, and a ballsy one from Bujold, Dead Ringers is a film of genuine greatness and a piece of work that's alive with smart ideas. 8.5/10

Sheer brilliance. Deep down, EVERYONE has a love/hate thing about identical twins. On the one side, they wish they had that kind of communion with someone, that sort of magical intimacy they share, having someone basically the exact same as themselves...yet that same one-of-a-kind companionship is scary as hell. I haven't seen, from my fellow Canadian, either 'Scanners' (1981) or 'Naked Lunch' (1991), so I can't honestly say whether or not my assertion can be thus extended, but I dare ANYONE to find in horror a finer run than Cronenberg had, in 'Videodrome', 'The Dead Zone', 'The Fly'...and this, 'Dead Ringers'.
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