Peacock's The Silent Twins: Release Date, Cast, And More
Polish film and TV writer/director Agnieszka Smoczyńska's biographical film "The Silent Twins" is heading to Peacock. The movie is inspired by the book of the same name written by investigative journalist Marjorie Wallace. Published in 1986 under the title "The Silent Twins: A true story of love and hate, dreams and desolation, genius and destruction," Wallace's book is itself based on the true story of June and Jennifer Gibbons, twin sisters who only communicated with each other, and came to be known as "the silent twins."
Smoczyńska's film is heading to Peacock after getting a very limited theatrical release from Focus Features on September 16, 2022 — meaning, this is probably the first time most people have even heard of the movie. So, before it joins acclaimed 2022 films like Scott Derrickson's "The Black Phone" on NBCUniversal's streaming service, here's everything you need to know about the film ahead of time.
What is The Silent Twins about?
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska ("The Lure") from an adapted script written by Andrea Seigel ("Laggies"), "The Silent Twins" chronicles the story of Black twin sisters June and Jennifer Gibbons, who vowed to only speak to one another. Growing up in a small town in Wales in the 1970s, the twins suffered immense scrutiny from their peers at school and the world around them because of their behavior. After discovering their refusal to communicate with the rest of the world, the twins were perceived to be mentally unfit and were institutionalized for 11 years, where they were separated and forced to survive without the support of the other. When the sisters reunited as adults, they further withdrew into each other, and one of them even self-published a work of fiction. The devastating story explores the sisters' deeply intertwined lives and how the British institutions that were meant to help them ultimately failed them both.
Here's the official synopsis for the film (via Focus Features):
"THE SILENT TWINS is the astounding true story of twin sisters who only communicated with one another. As a result, they created a rich, fascinating world to escape the reality of their own lives."
Meet the cast of The Silent Twins
"Black Panther" actor Letitia Wright stars in "The Silent Twins" opposite Tamara Lawrance ("King Charles III"), who is well-recognized for her theatre work, as, respectively, the grown-up versions of June and Jennifer Gibbons. Leah Mondesir-Simmonds and Eva-Arianna Baxter costar in the film as the younger versions of their respective characters.
Other cast members include stage actor Nadine Marshall ("Paddington 2") as Gloria Gibbons, Treva Etienne ("Bosch") as Aubrey Gibbons, Michael Smiley ("The Lobster") as Tim Thomas, Jodhi May ("Gentleman Jack") as journalist Marjorie Wallace, and Jack Bandeira ("Venom: Let There Be Carnage") as Wayne Kennedy. They're joined in the film by Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn ("Lover's Rock" from Steven McQueen's "Small Axe" anthology) as Greta Gibbons, Tony Richardson ("The Sandman") as Dr. John Rees, Declan Joyce ("Greenhouse Academy") as George Kennedy, Rita Raider ("Madam Secretary") as Diane Kennedy, and Kinga Preis ("Powrót") as Sister Nowak.
Here's when The Silent Twins will stream on Peacock
"The Silent Twins" will stream exclusively on Peacock starting November 4, 2022. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year ahead of its limited theatrical run. /Film's own Rafael Motamayor reviewed "The Silent Sisters," describing it as "a brilliant love letter to misunderstood creativity and the ways we try to express ourselves." He also praised the actors who portray the Gibbons twins at different points in their lives, writing:
Both sets of twins do a good job of portraying the characters with care and nuance, not shying away from their flaws, but also focusing on their wishes and desires. It is the adult actors, however, who make the film. Letitia Wright plays June, the older of the sisters, who feels like a caged bird in need of protection, the one with the bigger creative output. Tamara Lawrence, who plays Jennifer, gives the standout performance in "The Silent Twins," with subdued work that shows nothing on the surface, but hides a feeling of resentment and a desire for recognition beneath her stoic exterior.