‘Two’ review: A psychological thriller not meant for the faint of heart

In a very The Human Centipede fashion, Two, Netflix's latest psychological thriller will make you wince with a stomach churning agitation. It is the English dub of a Spanish film Dos, directed by Mar Targarona and co-written by Mike Hostench, Christian Molina, and Cuca Canals.

Two stars Pablo Derqui and Marina Gatell in the lead roles and for the most part, the only two roles in the film. Mar Targarona, a director known for his exploration of human fears and miseries in his works, has delivered yet another horrifyingly bizarre film.

Netflix's official synopsis for Two reads:

"Two strangers awaken to discover their abdomens have been sewn together, and are further shocked when they learn who's behind their horrifying ordeal."

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'Two' synopsis: A grotesque experience

If you've ever heard or used the phrase "joined at the hip", you'll probably never want to use it again after watching Two. The film, which begins with two strangers waking up to find themselves sewn together at the abdomen, follows their living nightmare as they try to free themselves.

Sara (Marina Gatell) and David (Pablo Derqui) are two people who have never seen each other in their entire lives yet now they physically can't let go of each other. And it's in no way carnal or romantic, it's mortifying. Someone drugged them and stitched their flesh together inside a secluded room and all they have are scant clues to figure out what happened.

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How 'Two' features themes of mental, physical and emotional suffering

Two takes discomfort to the next level as it makes viewers flinch every time Sara tries to pull away from David before realizing why she's stuck. Simple events for an able individual, like getting out of bed or using the bathroom, are agonizing for the two protagonists. And the extreme emotional pain is palpable for anyone with an imagination.

Props to the actors, though, for keeping up the performance that required them to be glued together in an excruciating manner and making it believable for the audience.

The movie plays on the 'less is more' phenomenon as the the entire plot is acted out by only two people within one room, sometimes to a claustrophobic extent. Moreover, the protagonists remain without clothing for almost the entire film, ruling out the need for costumes and flamboyance. Two's entire focus is on the evocative torment and the plight of the protagonists.

Two infuses psychological turmoil with obvious physical affliction within four walls. The room has clues for the protagonists as well as the viewers to decipher the situation. These include an astute play on the number 'two', Mozart's Requiem, and prints by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya.

The 70-minutes-long Two maintains a pulse between the two characters, keeping viewers glued to the jarring ordeal as they try to make sense of it. Without spoiling much for the viewers, Sara and David do manage to break free from each other but to find out how and who did this to them, you'd have to watch the movie!

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Is 'Two' worth watching?

With just a 70 minutes runtime, you might want to give it a chance if you're a thriller fanatic. However, Two is not meant for the faint-hearted. Along with complete body exposure, the film features some really graphic scenes of flesh sewn together which can make viewers squirm, to say the least.

Every time you'd think it couldn't get more bizarre, the film progresses to get worse. One could argue there is a psychological and torturous depth to the narrative, but it's not apparent. In the end, it's only worth the watch if psychological thrillers and explorations of human breaking point suit someone's interest.

Two (original title: Dos) has been playing at film festivals since summer 2021 but it was released globally on Netflix on December 10, 2021.