You Haven't Seen Jesse Eisenberg's Best Movie After 'The Social Network' – A Worthy Dostoyevsky Adaptation

Richard Ayoade's The Double went largely unnoticed at the box office, but it deserves much more attention. A loose adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel of the same name, the movie combines absurd humor and dark psychology to create a unique atmosphere.

And Jesse Eisenberg gives one of the best performances of his career by playing two characters.

What Is 'The Double' About?

Simon is a modest worker who is overlooked at work and ignored by the girl of his dreams. One day, James appears at the office – he looks just like Simon, but has the complete opposite personality: he's a confident, charismatic playboy.

James slowly takes over Simon's life, appropriating his career opportunities and the attention of those around him.

Simon's only point of contact with the outside world becomes Hannah, a melancholy neighbor who exists on the periphery of reality.

In 'The Double', Jesse Eisenberg Delivers One of His Strongest Performances

Jesse Eisenberg's performance in The Double is one of the most remarkable roles of his career. The actor played two characters: the awkward Simon and his self-assured doppelgänger, James.

Viewers are accustomed to seeing Eisenberg as a rebel in The Social Network, a dexterous magician in Now You See Me, and a shy survivor in Zombieland. Here, however, these two roles, shy and charismatic, collide in a single film.

Ayoade consciously builds a world in which the supporting characters highlight the main character's internal crisis.

Mia Wasikowska plays the distant Hannah, Wallace Shawn portrays the aggressive boss, and the other actors create an ensemble that reflects social and psychological limitations.

'The Double' Is a Worthy Modern Interpretation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Classic Novel

Richard Ayoade retains Fyodor Dostoevsky's central concept but transposes it to the modern office setting, where the value of individuality is constantly called into question. James establishes standards of success by which Simon must constantly evaluate himself.

The director uses visual repetition, such as identical hallways, mirrored reflections, and similar-looking colleagues, to create a sense of constant surveillance.

The movie becomes a social and psychological experiment in which viewers feel the pressure of the system alongside Simon.

Ayoade noted that The Double is more relevant than ever because the theme of the doppelgänger takes on new dimensions in today's digital space: social media allows us to create doubles of ourselves who appear more successful and daring than our real selves.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Double'?

• The Double has 83% from critics and 59% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.4/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Double scored 3.6/5.0.

Where to Watch 'The Double'?

The Double is available to stream on Netflix.