The Double

Richard Ayoade's second outing as a director, following 2010 quirkfest Submarine, is an adaptation of a Dostoyevsky novella. But he eschews period drama for an Orwellian setting that's both retro and futuristic, and where technology is stuck in the analogue age. The hero, if he can be called such, is Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg), an office drone in a drab suit whose feelings for fellow worker Mia Wasikowska go unrequited. Simon's life takes a turn for the worse with the arrival of new colleague James Simon (Eisenberg again), who is an exact physical double, but - being arrogant, successful and sexually confident - his opposite in personality. Eisenberg is incredible in dual roles, and makes acting opposite himself seem totally natural. Despite cameos from familiar comedy people like Chris Morris, Chris O'Dowd and an outstanding Tim Key, Ayoade bravely avoids lightening the tone, instead utilising impressive sound editing and cinematography to craft a moody, paranoid psychological fantasy. Although he doesn't wear his cinematic influences lightly (this is a hotch-potch of Brazil, Eraserhead and Swedish drama Songs from the Second Floor, among others), Ayoade successfully blends them into something new that is visually arresting and utterly compelling.