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The Silent Twins centres around two identical sisters – June (Letitia Wright – I Am Danielle) and Jennifer Gibbons (Tamara Lawrance – The Long Song) – and despite being silent to everyone else, they’ll speak to each other at most other times, occasionally finding other ways to communicate, which was described at the time as Cryptophasia, defined as the phenomenon of a language developed by twins which only the two children can understand.
These even led to other bizarre actions such as when at school, they preferred to sit together and eat lunch slowly, mirroring each other’s movements. As such, bullies would harrass them, and rarely did things work out, such as when they have innoculations at school, they’re nervous, but then their doctor doesn’t help by instantly asking them if they’re scared. Come on, man you could be more reassuring!
Their parents moved from Barbados as part of the Windrush generation in the early ’60s, arriving in Wales, and trying to help the girls is teacher Tim Thomas (Michael Smiley – Censor: Special Edition, who’s from Belfast, but here, sounds like he’s doing an impression of Anthony Hopkins), but what is the best way to resolve things?
I won’t say, so as to avoid spoilers, but their constant actions causes a rift in the family, especially at Christmas. To them, however, they don’t see much of an issue, as they write stories – sometimes together, sending them off for potential publication, along with some home-made stop-motion animation short movies.
I couldn’t work out, while watching the film, precisely what made this film an 18-certificate over a more appropriate 15-cert, but as it turned out, the scenes of glue-sniffing and pill-popping are what tipped it over the edge. I know the BBFC take a dim view of anything but an 18 if it shows something that can be easily copied by youngsters – and films showing suicide in full view will go into the 18-rated bracket – but it didn’t seem so obvious here.
Overall, The Silent Twins isn’t great, it isn’t terrible, but is worth a look. I expected it to have an audience, given that Letitia Wright, as June, takes the lead in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but the auditorium only had a few people in attendance on a Sunday afternoon. The fact it’s an 18-cert, whereas Marvel movies will attract a lot of kids and young teenagers, will also limit the cinema audience. And since Avatar: The Way of Water will dominate every screen from this Friday onwards, this movie will disappear from the big screen quickly.
Yes, the actresses playing the twins aren’t identical, at either age, but it’s either that or have one actress play both roles, and spend a ton of money on CGI, and it’s not really worth it for that in order to get the point across.
As an aside, the opening credits are spoken by the two girls playing the younger twins, in their role from when they only talk to themselves.
The Silent Twins is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, you can buy the Paperback, Kindle and Audible Audiobook.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 113 minutes
Release date: December 9th 2022
Studio: Focus Features
Format: 1.66:1
Cinema: Cineworld Didsbury
Rating: 6.5/10
Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska
Producers: Anita Gou, Joshua Horsfield, Ben Pugh, Ewa Puszczynska, Klaudia Smieja, Alicia Van Couvering, Letitia Wright
Screenplay: Andrea Seigel
Novel: Marjorie Wallace
Music: Marcin Macuk, Zuzanna Wronska
Cast:
June Gibbons: Letitia Wright
Jennifer Gibbons: Tamara Lawrance
Young June Gibbons: Leah Mondesir-Simmonds
Young Jennifer Gibbons: Eva-Arianna Baxter
Gloria: Nadine Marshall
Aubrey: Treva Etienne
Tim Thomas: Michael Smiley
Marjorie Wallace: Jodhi May
Wayne Kennedy: Jack Bandeira
Sister Nowak: Kinga Preis
Greta: Amarah-Jae St Aubyn
David (14 y.o.): Hubert Sylla
David (20 y.o.): Kundai Mashingaidze
Dr. John Rees: Tony Richardson
Principal Davis: Dafydd Wyn Roberts
Mark – Greta’s Husband: Ian McQuillan-Grace
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.