Three Identical Strangers review: Film combines documentary, drama to deliver head spinning twists

It’s one of those happy accidents of life that I encountered the documentary Three Identical Strangers in the same week that I’d re-watched the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito film Twins. Why? Because it threw into sharp relief the fact that an outrageous story captured in a Hollywood comedy could also be a real life story portrayed in a heartbreaking tragedy of a documentary. Three Identical Strangers is one of those films whose subject matter is too weird to believe, and yet we see the twists unfolding in front of our eyes, resulting in quite the most head spinning film I’ve seen in a very long time. [caption id=“attachment_5497401” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Three Identical Strangers. Image via Twitter/@DrApocalypse[/caption] The less you know about the story the better – don’t even watch the spoilerrific trailers - the only piece of information you need to know is that the film chronicles the real life story of three people in 70s America who sort of have something in common. This is established within the first five minutes, but then the film shifts gears and lobs grenades of often stressful twists and turns until you’re left bewildered by what you just witnessed. In fact, calling Three Identical Strangers just a documentary is a bit of a misnomer because first time director Tim Wardle has gone far beyond the usual documentary style assemblage of talking head interviews, still photos and archival footage. He’s added slickly shot dramatic recreations, with characters playing the real-life people he’s interviewing as they would have been three decades ago. Moreover these aren’t the cheesy portrayals you generally encounter with non-actors badly dressed up in costumes on true crime TV shows. No, these are smartly and carefully made little dramas that actually enhance the film, well-made pieces of cinema in themselves since they obscure the face of the central characters – going with the theme of the story itself. Judiciously, the dramatic recreations overlap with the moments that are playful and atmospheric, but disappear when the story pulls the rug from under your feet making you process information that seems straight out of some cheesy conspiracy theory one finds on the internet. The film doesn’t stop there, however. The other trick up its sleeve is that it offers its talking heads some explosive data towards the end which would fill a five decade old investigative void, leading to a catharsis of sorts and yet leaving them and the audiences with an emotional void that is only larger than before. Everything seen previously in the film is put in place, including the subjects and the recreations, to build up to the act of data presentation itself and the aftermath of our discovery. It is a testament to the film’s artistry that it manages to generate some suspense around the truth it keeps hidden in a cinematic envelope that you’re presented in the end. There is a ‘villain’ in the story too but you may never exactly understand what would drive anyone to want to attempt the things the villain does what he does, and why his wife would defend his actions. It seems more an act of defiance against nature perfectly in keeping with the era of the 70’s where everything went and the things that didn’t work were swept under the rug, while the world benefitted from the afterglow. The most engaging aspect of the film, however, is its ability to make you ponder over how far one could and should go in the name of scientific discovery, and how liberal is too liberal when it comes to the basics of consent and manipulation of human lives. I was lucky enough to catch it at the Mumbai Film Festival but you should be watching this film the moment it arrives on streaming platforms. Editor’s note: The 20th edition of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival is finally here, and with it comes an unending list of critically acclaimed Indian and international films to watch. Firstpost will review the most promising of these films.