207_One_Movie_Punch_Three_Identical_Strangers_2018

Welcome back to Documentary Thursdays!

A lot of great documentaries have been making their way to theaters this summer, including “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (Episode #193) and “RBG” (Episode #200). Man, 200. Still doesn’t feel real. Anyway, I have a few overlooked documentaries from earlier this year in the queue once this wave of theater documentaries subsides. Got any suggestions for upcoming documentaries? Let us know at onemoviepunch.com.

And now...

Today’s movie is “Three Identical Strangers” (2018), the critically-acclaimed documentary directed by Tim Wardle. The documentary follows the story of triplets separated from birth and placed into separate homes, never knowing of each other, until a chance meeting and subsequent publicity reveal first two, then all three. However, when attempting to discover the reason for their separation, they are met with all sorts of barriers concealing shocking truths about the agency and the reasons for their placement.

Spoilers ahead. And for me to talk about this film, I have to give away one of the more shocking truths discovered in the film, so seriously, skip this segment or come back to it after you’ve seen it, if you want to go in fresh.

It’s difficult to talk about this film without giving too much away, but I don’t think I can tell you how much I appreciate it without revealing that the triplets were placed in separate homes by their adoption agency as part of a mysterious scientific experiment gathering data about the effects of twin separation, or maybe the effects of economic status on growth, or possibly a larger look at nature versus nurture. The film never answers the why for the experiment, but it is enough to reveal that it happened. And yes, you should be appalled and possibly a little frightened that children were separated from their families for scientific purposes, or by the monstrous policy being enacted by the government right now for asylum seekers.

Tim Wardle really crafts this documentary well, using a blend of subject interviews, existing video, and found images and artifacts from the lives of Robert Shafran, David Kellman, and Eddy Garland. The film follows a chronological look at their lives, beginning with their reunion and the media frenzy surrounding it, and progressing through the truths that are uncovered, each one foreshadowed in previous segments with the expertise of a British detective story, hidden in plain sight. Each revelation is also paced well, helping the viewers with a collective ah-ha moment, then slowly setting up the next one.

The film cannot ultimately give answers to all the questions it raises, however, because the data collected as part of the study is inaccessible for reasons explained in the film. It places “Three Identical Strangers” into the category of documentaries that don’t just present an interesting story, and it is definitely that, but also points towards the necessary action to correct the injustice of their separation. It may not erase the tragedies that have befallen their lives, but it can and must be done.

“Three Identical Strangers” (2018) is a top-notch documentary about the incredible story of triplets separated at birth for nefarious purposes. Tim Wardle brings the story to life with great structure, bringing the audience along in a tale of discovery that goes deeper than expected. If you love biographical documentaries, especially those with great tension, then you should definitely check out this film. I suspect we’ll see this film around Oscar season as well.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 81

One Movie Punch: 9.2/10

Podcast: onemoviepunch.libsyn.com/episode-207-three-identical-strangers-2018

“Three Identical Strangers” (2018) is rated PG-13 and is currently playing in theaters.

Episode 207 - Three Identical Strangers (2018)

Episode 418 - Suspiria (2018)

Episode 417 - Dear Ex (2018)

Episode 416 - Capernaum (2018)

Episode 415 - First Reformed (2017)

Episode 414 - Free Solo (2018)

Episode 413 - Black Panther (2018)

Episode 412 - Polar (2019)

Episode 411 - Mid90s (2018)

Episode 410 - Pick of the Litter (2018)

Episode 409 - The Old Man & The Gun (2018)

Episode 408 - Mirai (2018)

Episode 407 - Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Episode 406 - Moonlight (2016)

Episode 405 - Ánimas (2018)

Episode 404 - Terrified (2017)

Episode 403 - The Wife (2018)

Episode 402 - A Star is Born (2018)

Episode 401 - Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Episode 400 - Annihilation (2018)

Episode 399 - Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Joseph Dobzynski, Jr.

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