Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Robert Shafran, David Kellman, Michael Domnitz, Howard Schneider, Ellen Cervone, Alan Luchs, Hedy Page, Alice Shafran, Elliott Galland, Eddy Galland, Richard Kellman, Justine Wise Polier, Mort Shafran, Ilene Shafran, Janet Kellman, Brenda Galland, Lawrence Wright, Natasha Josefowitz, Elyse Schein, Peter Neubauer, Lawrence Perlman
Description: In 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they’re triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out who turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
Review: What’s the most important thing that forms you and makes you into who you are? Our nature, our upbringing, our education? Is it set in stone from the beginning how we develop to the person we are now? Or is it formed by our environment? This is the theme in “Three identical Strangers”, a documentary that at first seems to be pointless. But it’s a true story that eventually turns into a thriller filled with surprises, that can be compelling and manipulative.
It seems too good to be true: in 1980 a young man discovers he has a twin brother. They make it to the papers and a third man recognizes himself and is identified as the third brother: they are triplets! In 1961, Eddy Galland, David Kellman and Bobby Shafran are separated at birth and eventually all three were adopted by different families.
Their reunion is a happy one: they move in together in New York and become a media sensation. They appear on television where their unbelievable story is told. Not only the way they look, but also the way they talk, move and act are things that stand out.
When the boy’s parents, and later themselves, start investigating, there is a sinister truth behind their separation. After the happy first act of the documentary, a series of revelations unfold and surprises that become darker and darker.
The documentary is following the ‘talking heads’ format, where it’s the people involved in the story talking directly to the camera. Nothing sensational there, but the content of the story and all the revelations are what make this film strong. Questions that you start asking yourself about genetics and upbringing, but also the ethics around the scientific research that the boys were a part of.
“Three Identical Strangers” stays a bit on the surface and a lot of open doors are kicked in. But the content of the story is so compelling that it keeps your attention.
Rating: 3/ 5
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