The bitterness and jealousy of a relationship on the rocks is superbly handled in this disconcerting, witty and sharp indie which poses moral quandaries galore. Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss) are the couple at odds with one another. The abrasions caused by their long-term relationship have led them to therapy and as a last resort their therapist (Ted Danson) sends them off on a break guaranteed to cement their love and rekindle their passion.
On arrival the pair realise that not all is as idyllic and straightforward as they think, with the discovery of a magical guesthouse in which a double of each of them resides, but only when they are there alone. There are strict rules which they eventually learn after they decide to experiment in this grotesque game of What If...?
Moss and Duplass have great chemistry and though they take on doppelganger roles, each version of themselves is quite different. Duplass switches between dejected and playful, Moss from downhearted to a Stepford Wife basking in a heavenly glow. Director Charlie McDowell plays wonderfully with colour tones and the appearance of each actor to effectively demonstrate differences and bamboozle.
In this mash-up of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Twilight Zone stakes are upped, games are played and secrets revealed with the focus on the deterioration of a relationship and on the pair's interaction with their “better versions". Screenwriter Justin Lader delivers harsh truths about betrayal and longing with his observant script, and the result is an impressive debut which is both highly inventive and emotionally astute.