Three Identical Strangers

"Oh, what a fun lil doc about three people who realize they are triplets...oh wait, there's an hour left? What could possibly go wrong?"

I go in expecting a feel-good character piece on the pleasantries of reunification and identity, and instead I walk out shaken to my core over some of the darkest Illuminati-proving shit I've ever seen.

Crazy. That's what I said out loud after I watched it. What the fuck. If you open a dictionary and look up the word 'unethical', this fucking experiment should be the first thing to show up. Just absolutely crazy.

A very interesting, not to say shocking story, told in that Errol Morris style that has virtually become ubiquitous (though with a conventional and un-Morrisy use of music to induce emotion from the audience). Given that the story is not new, it seemed that the filmmakers could have pursued questions and investigations further, but were simply and a bit lazily content to focus on (and profit from) the "amazing" aspect of the tale, rather than really get to the bottom of things. But worth seeing.

If you wanted three guys I couldn't tell apart, you could've cast Sam Worthington, Joel Edgerton and Jason Clarke.

Troubling documentary buries its lede spending too long detailing the triplets' lives post-discovery; the meat of the story involving a coldly cruel (and apparently frivolous) social experiment ultimately occupies only the third act of 90 minutes, meaning the film feels as rushed and inconclusive as the shadowy experiment. Still an interesting story largely well told; utilising the ultimate fate of one of the boys as a 'plot twist!' moment is a little tasteless.

Great story, but a terrible documentary that ends the moment it should've started asking questions.

When people say that the extras or cameos in Madonna films are more interesting than she is, thanks to this documentary alone, they are not joking.

What a story, told in a good way. Starts off well, surprises you well and then makes you sad. Weird for me, I could understand the experiment, you just don't understand the secrecy.. Very weird feelings at the end of this one..

The Errol Morris-aesthetic suits this well. A well-made, well-paced, straightforward telling of an inherently fascinating story. And it doesn’t forget about the individuals themselves.

Worth a watch to see how a psychology experiment (presumably by well meaning researchers) can go horribly wrong. As a film, it's a bit slow and a bit one-dimensional, but gets its point across nonetheless.

Starts out unbelievable, then just gets more and more so from there. Really fascinating and best to know nothing going in.

Amazing story! Truly fascinating. As for the documentary, some strong sides and some weak parts. Too bad most people involved in the experiment were either dead or hiding behind faceless corporations. This film really could have needed a proper reveal or deep insight of the study to be essential.

Only knew the basic premise of this. When it all came together quickly at the beginning I wasn't sure how they would make it compelling for the rest of the runtime. However, it is one of those documentaries that unfolds a bit like a thriller (though it has been done better), with a real shocker. Said shocker then leads to some heavier explorations. It is a great doc even if it has pacing issues and can be a little unfocused. But you come mostly for the subject matter and in that regard, success.

Excellent discussion, wish there were more answers and facts than the speculation we are left with.

Amazing story so poorly told like a pop culture phenomenon experience -- it's all about emotions and reactions and readymade remarks about nature and nurture -- instead of a profound, truly interesting reflection on problematic ethics of science regarding genetics.

Highly interesting subject matter. Decently crafted recount of events.

An engaging documentary that just draws you in and generally keeps your interest until the bizarre conclusion. It does suffer a bit from "Americanisms", i.e. exaggerations and overt sentimentality. But it makes up for that by highlighting the flaws in Eddy's dad among things. Really solid.

An intriguing coincidence and a crazy true story is turned into a highly compelling doc about nature vs. nurture.

a story betrayed by its portrayal

Absolutely appalling. Wtf.

Üç kardeş gençlik yaşlarında kendilerini bulurlarsa. Bir ABD mucizesi. Sonradan bir psikiyatr tarafından deney olarak kullanılmışlar. Bir sürü ikiz kardeşte kurban olmuş. Sevimli başlayan film, üzücü bitiyor. Yalın ve hızlı ilerleyen film, Bir nevi Truman Show. Aile eğitimi üzerine ders veriyor. Babola babalo bubala

An interesting documentary about 3 siblings who re-find themselves as late teens. Its one of those stories that you'd find hard to believe if it were written, like 'that would never happen' but apparently it is indeed a true story, so as they say 'truth can be stranger than fiction'

What are the odds?

A phenomenal story, I wish they could have picked at it more. This is difficult given the restrictions of information I suppose. The turns in the tale are well done.

great topic for a documentary and pretty good execution

the narrative structure is a bit too prominent and they could of questioned a bit more

A fascinating but ultimately quite disturbing story.

Starts okay, but gets more intriguing later when more layers of the mystery are revealed. -- Fastest way to get wasted: take a shot every time someone says "incredible".

An incredible story, full of unanswered questions and mysteries. At times it's told in a very emotionally manipulative way. It also doesn't always go far enough when interviewing some of the protagonists. Certainly interesting, but not perfectly executed.

1723: nature or nurture?! a very rare real story!

Excellent documentary that took a turn I didn't see coming.

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Really interesting documentary. The pacing and the gradual reveals remind me of Tickled (2016). Hits on some profound questions.

Well, I had never heard of this story before but what a fascinating one it is. I can't imagine what it'd like to be separated from a family member without one's knowledge, let alone find out you were used as a guinea pig as part of some fucked up inconclusive experiment. Shame on every researcher involved in this mess.

One of the more worthwhile documentaries to appear in a while, resembling Morris in style, and constructed according to expository logic, like an unfolding mystery.

como filme qualquer coisa, mas que história!

You could argue that they weren't strangers

An incredible story that is expertly told via a series of surprising revelations.

It's a phenomenal story, and it's told very well. You should see it, and know nothing going in.

Starts one way and then takes a few turns that are quite unexpected. Kudos to the filmmakers for given us a little at time to keep things fascinating.

Talk about going from "who cares?" to "holy shit!". I was pretty off-board with this triplet coincidence, which felt more appropriate for a time-wasting YouTube mini-doco than a full feature, BUT THEN things get very interesting when the adoption agency is brought into the picture and the ideas of nurture and nature are introduced and examined in a multi-faceted way. Not a doco for the cinema screen, but if you're watching this at home, DO NOT turn this off after 20 minutes.

The twists in THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS aren't exactly surprising if you have the slightest understanding of how human beings work. Thankfully, the doc complements its "Can you believe this?" showmanship and retro reminiscences with meatier thematic questions which, while not always delivered in the most subtle way, provide genuine food for thought.

What starts as a quirky and fun story quickly turns to complete insanity that will make you question some of your core beliefs and trusts. Fantastic, professional, and unbelievable.

A good movie, that shows both sides of the story. Nicely filmed and told.

A truly unbelievable story told in a very stylish way. A bit heavy-handed at times, but so fascinating.