In Dead Ringers (2023), identical twins and successful gynecologists, Elliot and Beverly, fall apart while chasing their dreams of revolutionizing how women give birth. The series is now streaming on Prime Video.
Story
Elliot and Beverly are identical twins navigating their lives as successful gynecologists who believe that the world is yet to figure out better ways for women to give birth.
Beverly is the shy, introverted, and soft-spoken one who ties her hair, while Elliot keeps her hair down and is more loud-mouthed, fun, and blunt.
The sisters regularly witness many deliveries that go wrong and dream of finding solutions for the women by starting their own birthing center someday. They even find an investor in the form of Rebecca Parker, who is willing to give them money if their business is profitable.
Though Elliot and Beverly are looking forward to walking the path of morality, they are not exactly ethical. The decisions regarding their business and their personal lives tear them apart, leaving one of them all alone.
Performances
Rachel Weisz as Elliot and Beverly gives one of the best performances of the year. Her part is one aspect of the show that will be heavily talked about.
Weisz brilliantly differentiates between the mannerisms of Elliot and Beverly, and the characters do come out as two different people; one just forgets that the character is played by the same person, but at the same time, at the core, it feels like the characters are alike.
Weisz is also backed by a strong supporting cast, which may not have much to do in this show, but when their time comes, they deliver. For example, Rebecca Parker, played by Jennifer Ehle, stands out as a rich snob who only cares about profit and looks down upon other people who are of no use to her.
Britne Oldford as Genevieve doesn’t offer much as Beverly’s love interest. When it comes to Genevieve’s actress side, Oldford does look like a star. There is a scene involving Ehle’s Rebecca and Oldford’s Genevieve where the difference between two successful people is laid out by showing how they treat others.
Positives
Dead Ringers (2023) effectively portrays the layered characters of twin sisters and the complex relationship that they share slowly, piece by piece; none of it feels rushed.
They come out as perfect partners in crime, as they should, despite having opposite characteristics, but once the way they look at the road to success is shown, their concerns come out.
Dead Ringers (2023) discusses a woman’s body in detail in a way like never before. The show successfully creates a dark and uncomfortable atmosphere, with graphic content.
Talking about uncomfortable, the same vibes can be felt from the dysfunctional love that these twins share. It promises destruction, and it delivers. In order to do that, the show builds the right amount of drama and addresses it right away without wasting much time.
The arguments between the sisters while pitching their idea to Parker and the arrival of Genevieve into their lives changes the world for them. There is a big shift one can feel in their lives.
Negatives
The birthing process in the very first episode is captured in detail, which might not be comfortable to watch for everyone. Dead Ringers (2023) carries an extremely slow pace that takes ages to address its developments at times.
Due to its slow pace, some of the monologues and conversations in the show suffer. They suddenly become of little importance to the viewers, who are just left wanting to see what happens next.
Lastly, the goals of the twin sisters are forgotten in favor of the drama taking place between them. The show initially aims to explore ways to change the way women give birth, and that part is not explored in depth towards the end.
Verdict
Rachel Weisz is the only saving grace of Dead Ringers (2023). She adheres to the writing and will keep the audience glued to the television screens. Take her out of the show or replace her, and it all becomes a tedious and dull watch.
Dead Ringers (2023)
Director: Sean Durkin, Karena Evans, Lauren Wolkstein, Karyn Kusama
Date Created: 2023-04-21 05:30
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