88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly are buds, they like cinema—they’re Cinebuds. This week on the podcast, we're talking about "Three Identical Strangers," the sentimental, sinister and true story of identical triplets separated at birth that will make you call your family after you leave the theater.
Read more and listen to the full episode below to hear what we thought about this new documentary and its controversies. It's best you do this after watching the film though. Because trust us, you're going to want to see it without spoilers.
"Three Identical Strangers" review
Like any good documentary—and this is a really, really good documentary—it will explain everything. You don't need to know any of this before you go see it. Just go see it.
If you're still here, this is what you're in for:
Identical triplets become separated at birth and adopted by three different families. Years later, their amazing reunion becomes a global sensation but also unearths an unimaginable secret that has radical repercussions.
It's an unbelievable story, but a completely true one.
It's a documentary, but not a biopic. This year, we've talked about how much we loved the films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mr. Rogers, but what made "Three Identical Strangers" so good was that it was just about everyday people. It's categorized as a documentary, but it was more like a well told story. With all the drama and mystery, it could have been filmed as a reenacted fiction with actors and a script. But as a documentary, it still had a real narrative with a beginning, middle and end while keeping it as accurate as possible by featuring the real brothers, who luckily have big personalities.
We don't want to reveal too much. If you want mild spoilers and a deeper look, listen to the podcast above. All we'll say here is that the film brings up a lot of interesting moral dilemmas, explores evidence for nature and nurture, entertains a bit of conspiracy and tells one hell of a good family story.
If you like this film, Kpolly recommends: "Thin Blue Line," "Stories We Tell" and "Tower."
See "Three Identical Strangers" in Milwaukee theaters now.
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