The Twin – Movie Review | Shudder (3/5)

THE TWIN on Shudder is a new psychological horror movie about grief, and with a folklore plot working in the background. It’s a very sad and scary movie that could have been a bit shorter, but it still works overall. Read our full The Twin horror movie review here!

THE TWIN is a new horror movie on Shudder. While this may sound like just a classic paranormal horror movie, it has the added layer of being a story about grief. We’ve come across quite a few of those recently, and (due to personal circumstances) they hit hard.

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Our review of the 2022 Shudder horror movie The Twin >

This horror movie is equal parts psychological horror and supernatural folklore horror, which means it should be entertaining for most. It is quite sad due to the traumatic loss that sets everything off in the plot, but ultimately, it’s more like a sinister horror movie.

Continue reading our The Twin (2025) horror movie review below. Find it on Shudder from August 29, 2025.

From one loss to the next

When The Twin opens, it’s with a man living his best life. He’s working from home as an artist (painting) while taking care of his son, and his wife works outside the home and has a good career.

One day, a tragic accident happens, and their son, Jacob (Tripp Toupal), dies in an instant. It’s a pain that tears apart the married couple, so it’s one loss on top of the next. Though, to be fair, the man, Nicholas (Logan Donovan), is the first to give up.

His wife, Charlie (Aleksa Palladino), wants him to first and foremost get better and take care of himself. If he can find his way back, she’s not against giving them a chance again, but for the time being, she needs distance.

To help make sure Nicolas is safe, psychiatrist Dr. Beaumont (Robert Longstreet) visits him every day to talk about the future and whatever makes him happy or sad on any given day.

When grief takes hold

For Nicholas, there seems to be only darkness for a while. He blames himself for the death of their little boy, and this is only made worse by terrifying visions of a shadowy figure. A figure that looks eerily like himself.

And also, a figure that blames him for the death of little Jacob. It’s pure torture, and it’s happening in a house where Nicholas also experienced darkness as a child. Something he is reminded of by both a neighbor and a book that suddenly appears.

It has a story about the “Fetch” (a sinister copy of oneself), which appears to be taking hold of Nicholas. If he is to have any chance of fighting back, he must confront his past (both from when he was a child and more recently losing his child).

If he doesn’t, this supernatural force could consume him completely. Much like grief has been consuming him already.

Watch The Twin (2025) on Shudder

The Twin comes from director J.C. Doler, who appears to be getting his feature film debut here. He previously worked on several short films and even an episode of Bloody Bites. Plus, he has edited a lot of movies in the past – including Cabin Girl (2023).

J.C. Doler also co-wrote The Twin with Paul Petersen (writer and star of A Chance Encounter), and despite feeling it could’ve been a little shorter, I liked the overall plot and storytelling of this horror movie.

Previously, The Twin was titled “The Fetch”, like the evil entity trying to take over someone grieving. Instead, the concept of The Fetch is now a part of the plot, while the title became the more generic “The Twin”. A shame, but I can imagine it was a decision that was battled over.

The Twin is streaming on Shudder from August 29, 2025.

Details

Director: J.C. Doler
Writers: Paul Petersen, J.C. Doler
Stars: Logan Donovan, Aleksa Palladino, Robert Longstreet, Shannon Cochran, Tripp Toupal