8.5/10

Director Richard Ayoade’s latest film is one of the most original and dark stories that I have seen in quite some time. Jesse Eisenberg stars as a man who has had his life completely turned upside down by a twin. His work life is unappreciative, his romantic life is non existent, and his home life is a nightmare. When the twin comes along, he is treated like he doesn’t exist in the first place, and finds himself in a quest to get it all back. The Double… is a harrowing look at we as human beings making the changes that we need to make to become the person we want to be. Eisenberg shines in his best role to date. He has been in better films, but he hasn’t displayed such emotional acting chops as he did in this film. He shows an emotional claustrophobia that really makes us relate to a character who is losing it all. Ayoade does many things the best that I have seen this year. The lighting plays every bit an important part of this film as the cast does. The dark tones and background are reflective of the alienation that Eisenberg is experiencing. The shadows display beautifully how he feels like a stranger in his own life. Also, the sound editing deserves an Oscar. From quick edit shots to the beautifully written score, we are kept on the edge of our seats to the heart pounding finale. The ending was one of the only problems I had with the film as it is one of those left to interpretation. I don’t usually have a problem with endings like that, but The Double deserves the answers by the end that we aren’t given during the 92 minute build up. I felt that a little more explanation would have made this film even more memorable. As it stands, The Double is one of the best films I have seen this year. To recommend it though is a tough thing. If you are into artsy films or thinking films, then you will definitely enjoy this film. I think the hard thing will be for people to enjoy a move that is so original that it’s different from anything they have ever seen. I do think this film is easier to understand than this year’s Enemy. They are two films that have similar plots with The Double being the better film between the two. If you are a Jesse Eisenberg fan, I would recommend this to you. I am personally hoping he does more independent films to show off more than just great comedic timing. It’s the boldly uncompromising approach that makes The Double such enjoyably smart satire.