Movie Review: 'Twin'

Bouncing along a Norwegian coastal road in their rickety camper, two young men are looking for the “perfect place.” The camper comes to a sudden stop – they have found it! Erik and his identical twin brother Adam (Kristofer Hivju), jump from the vehicle cheering with excitement – here is surfing heaven. They order an empty shipping container, planning to turn it into a surf shop and the area into a popular surfing destination.

Fifteen years later, Erik is still on site, living in the camper, running the shop and surfing. Adam on the other hand is a successful businessman in town, married with a teenage daughter and young son.

Because of his financial irresponsibility, Erik owes everyone in the small island community money. Thomas (Kim Sorensen), to whom he owes the most, appears at the surf site one day to repossess Erik’s camper. As he tows it down the road, Erik runs behind screaming for him to stop.

He eventually reaches his camper at Thomas’s place of business, sneaks into it and drives off. Thomas soon follows and, attempting to have Erik stop, accidentally bumps the camper, sending it off the road into the sea.

Erik staggers out of the water and with no place to stay, heads for his brother’s home. He could use either a loan or at least a place to sleep for the night. Adam and his wife, Ingrid (Rebekka Nystabakk), greet him at their door and, hearing what’s just happened, want nothing to do with him.

His next idea is to sleep on Adam’s boat. Seeing him board their boat, the couple rush out the door heading for the dock. A fight takes place between the two brothers. Ingrid intervenes with a metal bar and strikes Adam on the head – she’s killed him. Erik frantically loads him on the boat to take him to the mainland hospital. En route, a turbulent wave sweeps Adam off the boat.

Police discover a body floating on the water the next day. Knowing Adam’s boat is missing, the police believe the body to be that of Adam. They go to Ingrid’s home to report the tragic news. Erik spent the night in Adam’s basement room, so he too appears at the front door with Ingrid. Erik is immediately mistaken for Adam.

The guilt-ridden Ingrid decides the mistake should be the truth. The rattled and confused Erik agrees with her and takes over Adam’s identity. Everyone goes along with the ruse. As time passes, some locals begin to have questions.

In looking at camera footage near the surf shop, the police begin to question Erik’s movements at the time of the accident. Local shopkeepers find his behavior curious and not what it usually is. When asked to take the small son to school, he makes a game of finding out where it is with the boy. Even the child is a bit puzzled by Erik’s questions.

The older daughter is the first to question Ingrid about the curious behavior of her “father.” Ingrid denies anything is wrong. There is one person in town, however, who knows the truth of Adam’s identity, and that individual is his secret lover.

Directed by Erika Calmeyer and Kristoffer Metcalfe, “Twin” is an eight-episode Norwegian TV series and is a “should see” for a gripping tale of lies and subterfuge set in a beautiful coastal community in Norway.