Brothers Of The Head Review

Brothers Of The Head
In the '70s, conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe (Harry and Luke Treadaway) are taken in by a dubious music promoter, and he grooms them to become a boy band. They have other plans, however, and move quickly into punk.

by Patrick Peters |
Published on
Release Date:

06 Oct 2006

Running Time:

93 minutes

Certificate:

18

Original Title:

Brothers Of The Head

Adapted from a novel by Brian Aldiss, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s satire has the odd moment of inspired pastiche, but isn’t nearly as successful as their previous effort, Lost In La Mancha.

Chronicling the rise and fall of Siamese twins (Harry and Luke Treadaway) who enjoyed 15 minutes of rock fame in the 1970s, this mockumentary includes clips from Ken Russell's aborted biopic, Two-Way Romeo, whose glossy artificiality contrasts brazenly with the ropey handheld footage shot by documentarist Tom Bower at the height of the twins’ notoriety. But, apart from the technical ingenuity and some laudably outré performances, this assault on political correctness, transient celebrity and the exploitativeness of disposable culture misses its step too frequently.

Despite the odd moment of visual bravura, this mockumentary is too aware of its own satirical daring. Consequently, it's never as dark, dangerous or amusing as it thinks - and the soundtrack is diabolical.
Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us