I don't know if I was expecting more creepiness or gore, but it felt a bit too plodding for my tastes. Highly recommended for any Cronenberg fans.

I don't know why this movie makes my skin crawl as much as it does, but good God, it's disturbing. It's those tools, those impeccably designed, screwed up tools. Jeremy Irons gives the best performance of his I've seen (other than Scar) and Cronenberg/Shore/Suschitzky are just generally at the top of their game.

it's an impressive performance, but while the film has some strange ideas, i feel like the concept isn't quite out-there enough for cronenberg to really show off his talent.

Nothing outright terrifying happens in it and yet it is the most insidious, uncomfortable and creepy Cronenberg film.

Effective...but. ...I have very high expectations of this genre. I can't help but think a Japanese director would still have me shaking.

Cronenberg develops a double Jeremy Irons extremely well and the strong performance delivers.

It's like an alternate universe where Michael Ignatieff is just as narcissistic as normal, but now has a twin brother, a career in gynocology instead of politics, and some psychopathic tendencies. An interesting thought experiment for a quiet moment to be sure, but gets boring after about 6 minutes.

Despite his trademark fondness for all the grisly ways that flesh can be malformed and brutalized, David Cronenberg's true genius lies in exploring the corresponding frailty of the human psyche, a talent that may be at its apogee in this splendidly unpleasant thriller. It's the threat of violence more than its bloody execution that inspires the chills, allowing more narrative room to explore the mental mayhem his characters endure. In this effort, he has a marvelous partner in Jeremy Irons.

Jeremy Irons was terrific; and the writing was memorable in some scenes; but ultimately this film fell short of being the cerebral thriller I was hoping it would be. (although that absurdly all-red operating room was an great visual!)

Disturbing psychological thriller, with Irons unforgettably effective in the lead roles -- it *really* does seem like two actors in the parts! One of Cronenberg's creepiest films, but without the usual gross effects he's famous for, this once again proves him a genre director of real force and power, maybe the most original since Hitchcock.

Cold, artsy entertainment, as usual when it comes to Cronenberg.

Fascinating. Partly about dependency on drugs perhaps, or dependency on a facade to get through life, but mostly about codependency. The relationship between Elliot and Bev is portrayed impeccably by Jeremy Irons in both roles. It really is a masterful performance, and watching the two share the screen is endlessly entrancing. It's a subtle brand of horror, but definitely horror, disturbing and emotionally involving at the same time to spinechilling effect.

Kind of lost me for the middle third (and, if I'm honest, a lot of the final third) but still brought up a lot of interesting thoughts. Irons' performances were excellent and man, those tools, urghh

Love Cronenberg.

Grotesquely interesting in the usual Cronenberg manner, but it doesn't exactly excite me anymore.

A brilliant film about separation anxiety and the toll it takes on one's mental health. Jeremy Irons gives two amazing performances worthy of numerous awards. Some of the most disturbing stuff Cronenberg has done and one of his best.

Jeremy Irons gives a great performance, but the story could have been more fleshed out and there are moments where the pacing is really slow. Not one of Cronenberg's best, but still good.

474

Once again, Cronenberg scares us with his dark vision of the body. This time, he questions the whole matter of identity. This is one of Jeremy Irons best performance; i can't remember another dual role played with such subtle--but always instantly recognizable--differences.

Painful.

Women aren't treated too kindly in this film, but I don't believe Cronenberg is a misogynist. To be fair, the male twins both brilliantly portrayed by Jeremy Irons are rather repulsive man-creatures, and I tend to think this film is simply a dissection of sexuality and identity (or lack thereof), probing a bit of grotesque humanity. It is also one of Cronenberg's best-looking films, with lots of vibrant red and blue hues. It feels as cold and viscerally incisive as a surgeon's instruments.

Separation Anxiety: The Movie

Irons is outstanding in his central role(s). Less visceral maybe than Cronenberg's usual fare but no less disturbing.