The Double (2013)

A clerk in a government agency finds his unenviable life takes a turn for the horrific with the arrival of a new co-worker who is both his exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and seductive with women.

Director:

Richard Ayoade

Writers:

Fyodor Dostoevsky (novel), Richard Ayoade

Stars:

Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Simon / James
Mia Wasikowska	...	Hannah
Wallace Shawn	...	Mr Papadopoulos
Yasmin Paige	...	Melanie
Noah Taylor	...	Harris
James Fox	...	The Colonel
Cathy Moriarty	...	Kiki
Phyllis Somerville	...	Simon's Mother
Gabrielle Downey	...	Strange Woman
Jon Korkes	...	Detective
Craig Roberts	...	Young Detective
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith	...	Guard / Doctor
Susan Blommaert	...	Liz
Bruce Byron	...	Skinhead
J. Mascis	...	Janitor (as J Mascis)

Storyline

Simon is a timid man, scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker, James, serves to upset the balance. James is both Simons exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simons horror, James slowly starts taking over his life.

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Plot Keywords:

double | office cubicle | employer employee relationship | lookalike | co worker | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 2014 (UK)

Also Known As:

Dvojnik

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,646, 11 May 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$200,268, 15 August 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcove Entertainment, Attercop Productions, British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of director Richard Ayoade's The I.T. Crowd's co-stars and the principal cast of his first feature as director, Submarine, feature in this film. Chris O'Dowd and Christopher Morris starred alongside Ayoade in the Channel 4 sitcom, while Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, and Noah Taylor were the stars of the indie film set in South Wales.

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Quotes

Simon: I don't want to be a boy held up by string.

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Connections

References Krótki film o milosci (1988)

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Soundtracks

Blue Chateau
Written by Jun Hashimoto, Tadao Inoue
Published by Watanabe Music Publishing Co. Ltd (c) 1967
Administered by Fairwood Music (UK) Ltd for the UK & Eire
Performed by The Blue Comets
Licensed by Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd

User Reviews

what a great piece of filmmaking

I was surprised to see the bad reviews on IMDb. This is actually the most creative, enigmatic, philosophical and visually stunning film I've seen in a long time (and MUCH better than the disappointing Villeneuve's "Enemy"). Every scene is made in an unusual and unexpected way...enhancing the awkwardness of the characters and the story as a whole. From the very first 10 minutes I knew I was watching something really special.

"Submarine" was cute, but this is the film that definitely makes Ayoade one of the most promising directors nowadays. Can't wait to see what he's gonna do next.