Twin Films: Who Did It Best?

Have you ever noticed that many films are released to theaters around the same time as another with a very similar theme? They are called Twin Films, or “films with the same, or very similar, plot produced and/or released at the same time in two different studios.”

I often thought it was lazy; that filmmakers are running out of ideas, so they’re all trying to out-do one another with the better story. So why does the industry do this? And what makes one more entertaining than the other(s)?

Some Examples of this “Happening”

Hercules (2014) and The Legend of Hercules (2014)

Rapture-Palooza (2013), This is the End (2013), and The World’s End (2013)

The Purge (2013) and You’re Next (2013)

Mirror Mirror (2012) and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

No Strings Attached (2011) and Friends with Benefits (2011)

Despicable Me (2010) and MegaMind (2010)

The Prestige (2006) and The Illusionist (2006)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Why Does This Happen?

After researching this a bit, I found a pretty perfect explanation from Business Insider:

“It’s the same reason we’ll see multiple shows about vampires, finding true love, and serial killers flood the airwaves. It’s all about the competition.”

They go on to say that sometimes it’s mere coincidence. “Other times, a studio/filmmaker finds out about another studio’s/filmmaker’s project and wants to match them, so both are hurrying to get their film out first. This might be a case of both knowing the topic and films will be popular, or they might think it’s a good idea but only one can be a success, or it could be that they are counting on the success and critical acclaim of one to help the other. So in this case, it can sometimes be a zero-sum game and other times they expect a coattail effect or that in general one positive will lead to a second positive.

Sometimes a big film will come out and be a hit, so a smaller studio will hurry up and rush through creating their own film to cash in on it – this happens with a lot of direct-to-DVD films, for example.

So, Who Did It Best?

Now that we understand better WHY it happens, let’s discuss what criteria makes one film better than another.

One could claim the studio that spent the most on special effects produced the more entertaining film, or the one with recognizable actors wins out over a bunch of no-names. In most cases, however, I believe it’s a matter of opinion. Films are subjective, no matter what a well-paid critic says. I liked Despicable Me more than MegaMind – it’s a close race, as both are pretty awesome. But Despicable Me made me laugh harder and I wanted to watch it over and over. That is how I particularly rate comedies. Someone else might say MegaMind was better, perhaps because he or she is a huge Will Farrell fan.

In general, filmmakers have to make a conscious effort to do something different, something unique. Audiences beg to be surprised and delighted by a plot twist, a certain actor or actress, or a relatable theme. So even if there is an all-star cast, the film may bomb if the plot is lackluster or disjointed. The films that win out are the ones who know their audience, can bring something new to the table, and ties up any and all lose ends.

Just like an apple pie contest, as long as all the ingredients come together well, who’s to say which the best is empirically? In my opinion, studios are right to continue the trend and will bring in many more taste testers.

What other films can you think of that were released around the same time? How do you judge which is best?

(top image source: Despicable Me – Universal Pictures)