Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- irreverent
- gritty
- volatile
- cult film night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film energetic, gritty, and entertaining but tonally overstuffed and less coherent than its Trainspotting comparisons suggested.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The brothers’ comic hell-raising, drug use, theft, and revenge unfold alongside gritty and brutal low-life drama.
Jeremy and Julian Lewis act together throughout the escalating chain of theft, revenge, and attempts to honor their father.
The brothers’ escalating exploits ultimately serve the stated final wish of their dead father.
The story is rooted in Swansea and follows low-life brothers whose behavior reflects a specifically Welsh working-class milieu.
Films like Twin Town, and why
Trainspotting
shared gritty low-life comedy, drug use, youthful delinquency, and working-class social realism
The Young Offenders
shared transgressive humor, criminal misbehavior, dysfunctional family dynamics, and abrasive tone
Submarine
shared coming-of-age themes, regional working-class setting, rebellious protagonists, and dark comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Kevin Allen
- Release Date
- 1997-04-11
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (86)
Cast
- Rhys Ifans
- Llŷr Ifans
- Dougray Scott
- Di Botcher
- David Hayman
- Dorien Thomas
- Huw Ceredig
- Rachel Scorgie
- Brian Hibbard
- Ronnie Williams
Common questions
- What is Twin Town about?
- Two unruly Swansea brothers turn a damaged car, a dead father’s final wish, and a taste for revenge into a riotous descent through Welsh low life.
- What is Twin Town like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Twin Town as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Twin Town violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Twin Town as brutal.
- What did critics think of Twin Town?
- Critics broadly found the film energetic, gritty, and entertaining but tonally overstuffed and less coherent than its Trainspotting comparisons suggested.
- Which films are like Twin Town?
- Films with a similar feel include Trainspotting, The Young Offenders, and Submarine.
- How long is Twin Town?
- Twin Town runs 99 minutes.
