‘Dead Ringers’ reviews: Rachel Weisz and Jennifer Ehle are highlights of ‘unhinged,’ ‘handsomely mounted’ limited series
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On April 21, 2023, Prime Video released “Dead Ringers” with Rachel Weisz pulling double duty as twin doctors performing questionable procedures on women that are infertile. The limited series executive produced by Weisz, Alice Birch, Anne Carey, Sean Durkin, Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle, and Erica Kay is based upon the 1988 film of the same name directed by David Cronenberg.
The limited series opened to rave reviews, holding fresh at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics’ consensus that reads, “If ‘Dead Ringers’ doesn’t wield as cutting a blade as David Cronenberg’s original chiller, it’s not a pale imitation either, thanks to Rachel Weisz putting on a clinic in doppelgänger duplicity.” The ensemble cast includes Michael Chernus, Poppy Liu, Britne Oldford, Jennifer Ehle, Emily Meade, and Jeremy Shamos. Let’s see what specific reviewers have had to say.
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Taylor Gates of Collider writes, “This series is one of the most unhinged things I’ve ever seen, and I mean that in the best possible way.” It’s “is a rollercoaster ride of a series from the first frame to the last … But trust me — the exhilaration is so, so worth it.” Weisz is especially praised for her performance, as is Ehle, who “delivers a delightfully frigid performance as Rebecca, a billionaire birth clinic investor. Wicked yet restrained, she has a chillingly stoic nature about her reminiscent of Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or shades of Cate Blanchett’s Lydia Tár.”
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast has a more mixed reaction, noting, “Handsomely mounted, well-performed, and modestly engaging, it puts forth great effort and care to achieve inferior redundancy. Or, to state the issue more plainly via a quote from one of its characters, ‘Why are we doing this again?'” He adds, “A lot of its plot comes across as unnecessary filler. It’s not helped by a prestige-TV aesthetic — all pristine, muted-color glossiness — that’s a far cry from Cronenberg’s clinical chilliness.”
SEE‘Dead Ringers’ clip: Double dose of Rachel Weisz in preview of Amazon Prime series [Watch]
Peter Martin of ScreenAnarchy praises the limited series, stating, “Producer Rachel Weisz and writer Alice Birch have entirely refashioned David Cronenberg’s ‘masterpiece of understated strangeness,’ as my colleague J Hurtado described the 1988 release.” He adds, “They create a world in which elaborate dinner scenes are the fulcrum of the narrative. Anytime a character eats in this series, it’s cause for worry and anxiety.”
Sarah Musnicky of Nightmarish Conjurings says, “The expansion of the feature film into a miniseries has its benefits in this update, but also its negatives.” However, “Rachel Weisz sinks deep into her two roles by embracing the extremes, alternating her body language, speech patterns, and more to convey the differences between the Mantle twins. Aided by costumes, hair, and makeup, she is able to craft her own take separate from Jeremy Irons on the twins.” The actress is “unafraid to dive deep into the complicated psyche of both Mantle twins” and “forces us to look on and witness the gradual descent into psychological destruction.”
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