After Sinners, I've Seen All Four Major Dual Performance Movies So Far In 2025, And There's A Clear Best And A Clear Worst

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains some spoilers for Sinners. If you have not yet seen the film, A) what are you waiting for?!, and B) proceed at your own risk.
In the early decades of cinema, having a single actor play two different characters performing together in a single scene was a magical feat that blew the minds of audiences… but on a technical level, it has become pretty basic in modern Hollywood. Between visual effects, advanced editing procedures, and cameras that can be programmed to repeat precise movements in multiple takes, contemporary filmmaking has taken the shine off that particular apple.
What can still make dual performances stand out, however, is the caliber of the actor pulling double duty – and we've seen a fascinating array of them in the first four months of 2025 alone between Christian Convery and Theo James in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey, Robert Pattinson in Bong Joon Ho's Mickey 17, Robert De Niro in Barry Levinson's Alto Knights, and Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler's Sinners. It's been a bit odd to see all of these movies released in close proximity to one another, and each employs the cinematic trick differently, but along the titles, there is a standout that executes it best and a standout that executes it worst.
Dual Performances Of 2025!
The Monkey Review: Gory, Wild Madness Unlike Any Other Stephen King Movie--The Alto Knights Review: I Never Imagined A Robert De Niro-Led Gangster Movie Could Be This Epically Bad--Mickey 17 Review: Bong Joon Ho's Parasite Follow-Up Is Goofy And Smart But Also Flawed--Sinners Review: I Don't Know If I Love It More As A Crime Movie Or A Horror Movie. That's Awesome
As far as capturing a dual performance is concerned, Ryan Coogler flexes his filmmaking skills early in Sinners, with the very first scene between Michael B. Jordan's twin brothers Smoke and Stack featuring a moment where one lights the other's cigarette. There isn't a drop of artifice to it (certainly no faint line down the middle of the screen that the characters never cross), and the work has you see the two men independently, wearing stylish, color-accented suits and waiting for the opportunity to close the real estate deal that is the first step towards achieving their dream. Our eyes tell us that we are watching two brothers, but it's truly Jordan's performance that maintains the illusion throughout the horror/crime epic.
A lot of movies that utilize a dual performance in their storytelling use it as an opportunity to showcase a star's range. The same actor plays two characters who look alike but otherwise have wildly divergent personalities – and it's often the case that they will be protagonist and antagonist (The Monkey presents a textbook example of this, with the shy, introverted Hal presented in contrast to the bullying, aggressive Bill). This is a significant part of what makes Michael B. Jordan's work in Sinners stand apart, however. They aren't a study of opposites; it's a masterpiece of realistic subtlety.
Let's quickly examine who Smoke and Stack are. Elijah and Elias Moore are twin brothers who grew up together in the Mississippi Delta and are forever bonded from the trauma of their abusive father. They found freedom from that horror together, and when they matured, they chose to move to Chicago together to find their fortune. Their lives are intertwined from birth, and through their shared experiences, they developed shared goals. This is not a story for twins who mature in extreme contrast.
But it's not as though Michael B. Jordan is playing two incarnations of the same character. If I can loosely play on the significance of music in Sinners, they are variations on a theme. Every person is wired differently, looks at the world through different eyes, and has experiences that impact their filters and behavior. In a dependent relationship, one's shortcomings can be compensated for by the other's skill. The blue and red accents of the costuming by Ruth E. Carter give away how Smoke and Stack fit this reality. We see this best expressed in their romantic relationships: the former having his history with his estranged wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), the tragic loss of their child permitting Jordan to add extra layers of emotional depth; and the latter carrying on a fiery affair with the once-spurned Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), which ultimately leads to his monstrous transformation.
Sinners presents an atypical version of the dual performance, and while I love what Christian Convery and Theo James do in The Monkey and how Robert Pattinson plays the various clones Mickey 17, Michael B. Jordan pulls off something special. And all of them are leagues better than what was attempted by all of the legendary talent behind the gangster film Alto Knights.
To be blunt, there is no real reason why Robert De Niro plays both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese in Alto Nights, and that does nothing to help the performance's standing in this conversation. Unlike with The Monkey or Mickey 17 or Sinners, the characters are neither twins nor clones, and the real people on whom they are based have some shared features but are hardly identical. The filmmakers could have easily paired De Niro with another renowned actor from the gangster movie genre to amplify marketability, but they went with De Niro in a dual role as a hook. Or to use a more loaded, (very) purposefully negative term, a gimmick.
Without a natural justification for the double duty part, there is an onus put on the characterization and performance to make it make sense, and that test is failed. The personalities come down to 'equanimity' versus 'anger management issues,' and neither possesses any particular charisma or dynamism to remind audiences of what made De Niro a legend in the genre. This particularly becomes clear in scenes where Frank and Vito sit down in scenes together, which never feel like anything more than a cinematic trick with the actor in costume and makeup talking to himself.
It's been strange to see high-profile dual performances at a rate of one per month in 2025 so far, but it has successfully showcased fascinating utility for storytelling and has exemplified the best and worst way to do things. I'm not sure how many more of these movies we'll get in the rest of the year 2025, but I'll certainly be hopeful that they will all be more Sinners than Alto Knights.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

UPI

5 hours ago

• UPI

'Sinners' to stream on Max starting July 4

Ryan Coogler (L) and Michael B. Jordan arrive on the red carpet at the Warner Bros Pictures "Sinners" New York premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on April 3. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 21 (UPI) -- Sinners -- a blockbuster horror movie starring Michael B. Jordan in dual roles -- is slated to start streaming on Max July 4. You keep dancing with the devil, one day he's gonna follow you home. #Sinners begins streaming July 4 exclusively on Max. Max (@StreamOnMax) June 20, 2025 "You keep dancing with the devil, one day he's gonna follow you home. #Sinners begins streaming July 4 exclusively on Max," the platform announced Friday. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the supernatural film takes place nearly a century ago in the Mississippi Delta. The ensemble also includes Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell and Delroy Lindo. Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld attend 'Sinners' premiere Cast member Michael B. Jordan arrives on the red carpet at the premiere of "Sinners" in New York City on April 3, 2025. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Tom's Guide

12 hours ago

• Tom's Guide

5 Marvel movies worth watching again before 'Ironheart' comes out next week

For anyone who knows the name Ryan Coogler, "Ironheart" on Disney Plus is a show you're going to want to watch. Debuting next week, it looks like a light-hearted origin story for the character first introduced in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," named Riri Williams. But Executive Producer Coogler has been on a roll lately. He not only directed that 2022 film but also the well-received "Sinners," which already has Oscar buzz. Plus, he directed the original "Black Panther" as it can be hard to keep all of these Disney shows straight if you haven't watched the recent Marvel films since they came out a few years ago. To help, here's a homework assignment. These five movies will serve as a refresher for the Black Panther superhero and help prepare you for going back to Wakanda when "Ironheart" comes out June 24. Each movie is also available to watch on Disney Plus making this assignment super easy. (Note: These movies are presented in the order of which ones are worth watching first, starting with the two main "Black Panther" films, but you can watch them in any order.) The film that started it all, "Black Panther" from 2018, starred the late Chadwick Boseman as a superhero gifted with super strength and even more super technology. He wore the Vibranium Panther Suit and had claws that could rip through just about anything. The most interesting character trait with Black Panther, though, was that he was also the King of Wakanda. That means there are elements of a monarchy to the series and a deep family dynamic. It's not quite clear how Riri Williams, as Ironheart, will factor into that equation. Once you are done watching "Black Panther," the next best option is to (re)watch "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" because it introduces the Ironheart character. We first meet Riri Williams as an MIT genius experimenting with vibranium technology. The film, released in 2022, was partly an origin story for Ironheart — even if the main story arc was more about the character Shuri becoming a new iteration of Black Panther. We also first meet the villain, Namor. Released way back in 2016, but still one of the best Marvel movies to date, "Captain America: Civil War" introduced Black Panther with a compelling backstory. Chadwick Boseman's character T'Challa is introduced in Civil War as the Prince of Wakanda. His father, King T'Chaka, is part of a delegation intending to sign the Sokovia Accords to put restrictions on the Avengers. He is killed when a bomb explodes, setting the stage for T'Challa to become not only King of Wakanda but also the Black Panther to honor his late father. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Marvel knows how to build momentum for their characters — at least, that was true back in 2018. After Black Panther came out in February 2019, the superhero emerged as a key player in "Avengers: Infinity War" that April. (It's hard to remember both films were released only months apart.) Fortunately, that meant it was also easy to remember Black Panther — who ends up leading a massive battle against Thanos and his army. In case any of us need a reminder (and this is a major spoiler alert): Black Panther was part of the blip in "Infinity War." His character is restored in "Avengers: Endgame," but due to the real-life passing of Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther mantle is passed to his on-screen sister Shuri in "Wakanda Forever. "That's a good backstory to keep in mind. "Ironheart" doesn't focus on Shuri, but we're sure there are flashbacks or references throughout the show. That's because Black Panther is a protector of sorts for Ironheart as Riri Williams learns the ropes.

Forbes

17 hours ago

• Forbes

Vampire Thriller ‘Sinners' Gets HBO Max Streaming Premiere Date

Partial movie poster for "Sinners." Sinners — director Ryan Coogler's hit horror thriller starring Michael B. Jordan — is coming soon to streaming on HBO Max. Rated R, Sinners opens in theaters on April 18 and debuted on digital streaming via premium video on demand on June 3. The official logline for Sinners reads, 'Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.' Jordan stars as the twin brothers, Smoke and Stack. Now,just over a month after the film made its PVOD debut, Sinners will be coming to streaming on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery announced Friday that Sinners would arrive on HBO Max on Friday, July 4. The film will then debut on HBO linear on Saturday, July 5, at 8 p.m. ET. For viewers who don't subscribe to Max, the streaming service offers an ad-based package for $9.99 per month, an ad-free package for $16.99 per month and an ad-free package with 4K Ultra HD Programming for $20.99 per month. Sinners' quick arrival on the streaming service isn't a complete surprise. The Warner Bros. Discovery streaming platform fast-tracked the release of A Minecraft Movie to the HBO Max five weeks after its debut on May 13. A Minecraft Movie is new on the streaming service Friday. 'Sinners' Was A Major Hit At The Box Office Sinners is still playing in theaters and will remain in 536 venues this weekend. To date, the film has earned $276.4 million domestically and $85.4 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $361.9 million against a $90 production budget before prints and advertising costs, according to The Numbers. Sinners also quickly became a big hit on PVOD, as it quickly staked out the No. 1 spot on many digital purchase charts in its first week of release. The film will also be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, July 8. Like those who purchased a digital copy of the film, the 4K and Blu-ray versions of Sinners will also contain bonus material including four production featurettes. Sinners was also a big hit with Rotten Tomatoes critics, who collectively gave the film a 97% 'fresh' rating based on 375 reviews. The film also received a 96% 'fresh' Popcornmeter score on RT, based on 25,000-plus verified user ratings. Also starring Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wumni Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller and Delroy Lindo, Sinners will arrive on HBO Max on July 4 and HBO linear on July 5 at 8 p.m. ET.