The Silent Twins Parent Guide

Twins June (Letitia Wright) and Jennifer Gibbons (Tamara Lawrance) haven’t spoken to anyone else since they were infants. Instead of the company of others, they spend their time together in a vibrant, bizarre, imagined world, built on their shared stories. Their refusal to engage with others has consequences – both at school, where teachers are becoming increasingly concerned about their isolation, and at home, where it risks alienating their entire family. Although their exploits are limited to deliberate silence and extravagant storytelling, they start to branch out as they grow up…and who knows where that will take them.

Based on an incredible true story, The Silent Twins tries to incorporate elements from June and Jennifer’s writings: both women wrote extensively, although their work is difficult to find now. Their writings are brought to life through stop-motion puppet shows interspersed through the film, which feel like a Muppet’s withdrawal nightmares. They’re all fairly dark and more than a little disturbing, but considering the source, that makes a certain amount of sense.

The Silent Twins doesn’t pretend to offer any answers for the reasons behind the siblings’ silence, nor to their increasingly strange behaviour. I appreciate the screenwriters’ willingness to admit that there are some things we will simply never know, but it does leave the story feeling a little hollow sometimes. The characters ricochet between seeming somewhat reasonable and completely unhinged, and the turnaround time between the two can be very brief. From the audience’s perspective, that can make the film feel jerky and confusing – I can only imagine how it felt for June and Jennifer’s family.

As far as family audiences are concerned, you’d be better off going elsewhere for entertainment. Our heroes get up to all manner of misbehavior, not limited to watching one another have sex with the same man, huffing industrial chemicals, and committing arson. The story also features both attempted murder and attempted suicide – and then there’s the character who obtains a jar of semen to try and impregnate herself.

The Silent Twins is a weird ride, and not one for the faint of heart. I think the film has some strong points, notably the lead performances, but much like the people they represent, it can also be erratic, confusing, and enigmatic. However intentional that might be, it doesn’t create a viewing experience for a casual audience.