ShangLuda Admirable film.

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

pavel_nyc I am typically not the one to stay away from challenging cinema that requires certain critical thinking, but this title just does not work. At least not in the movie form. I have not read the book and perhaps it makes more sense as a literature piece, but the movie leaves just waaaaay too much open to interpretation. Like I said, interpreting some stuff could be fun, but in this case it almost feels like there is nothing to base it on to begin with. The redeeming quality of the movie is the presentation itself. Very dark and atmospheric with perfect kind soundtrack. Has a very similar feel to The Machinist (another great movie of this kind, btw).

brandontard Jake Gyllenhall literally cucks himself in this dark psych drama. Based on Saramago's The Double, this movie explores the daily life and misadventure of a jaded history teacher. The emotional arc of the movie starts out rather weak, with Gyllenhall in a sex club with tarantulas. This dark-for-its-own-sake pretentiousness, along with the moody lighting and disquieting soundtrack seem to over-dramatize an otherwise uneventful setting. As the movie continues, though, the twists and turns lead to a cohesive atmosphere, sinister notions, interesting dilemmas, and most importantly compelling characters. When you ask "why did this character do/think this," it makes sense, rather than being explained by some plot device like mind control/psychopathy/madness. This allows the viewer to empathize much more with the characters' miserable obsessions, which clues the viewer deeper into the movie's sentiment of unimportance, mediocrity and helplessness.

gadawag Pointless, boring and plainly a waste of time. As the other reviewer said, I watch movies to be entertained from start to finish and not to end up with a headache trying to figure out what was going on. Jake's acting was undeniably superb but that did not help me to appreciate the whole movie perse.

rzajac Ultimately, it worked for me.Now, I know that sounds like "damning with faint praise." But I loved it because it was artfully made and dances on the event horizon of "takeaway opacity", that you are severely challenged to understand its ultimate meaning. I love that. I love that it was willing to do that, to exert itself to create a presentation to convey that puzzle.Of course, I have ideas of what it's about, but the whole thing rests comfortably on my back burner... where it rightfully belongs.If that bothers you--sounds like it's not yr cup o' tea--then pass it up. But I aver it truly was a masterful exercise in an odd sort of storytelling.It worked for me.