One of Hollywood’s strangest and most enjoyable rituals is the arrival of “twin movies.” These are the movies that arrive nearly back-to-back, with uncannily similar plotlines and subject matter, having audiences embrace the notion that studios are all on the same group chat. Sometimes it’s a coincidence, sometimes it’s competition, and sometimes it appears to be straight-up copycatting. Whatever the intention, these double-feature films have become legends in their own right. So, grab some popcorn, we’re counting down the most unforgettable twin films in reverse order.
10. Pinocchio vs. Pinocchio (2022)
In 2022, audiences were presented with two wooden boys at one cost. Disney came out with its live-action Pinocchio with Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Netflix countered with Guillermo del Toro’s stunningly creepy stop-motion rendition with Ewan McGregor as the voice of Jiminy Cricket. Coincidence or content overload, audiences had to decide which puppet story would win their hearts.
9. The Cave vs. Thirteen Lives vs. The Rescue (2018)
The real Thai cave rescue was too tempting for filmmakers, yielding not just one but three renditions in rapid succession. The Cave fictionalized the event, Thirteen Lives provided the starry treatment from Ron Howard, and The Rescue provided the scary documentary treatment. Obviously, when a survival story grips the whole world, Hollywood can’t resist battering its way back to retell it.
8. Churchill vs. Darkest Hour (2017)
Two actors, one iconic British prime minister. Winston Churchill was played by Brian Cox in Churchill, and Gary Oldman was fully committed to the wartime PM role in Darkest Hour. Oldman’s performance won him an Oscar, but Cox was not pleased, famously abandoning the competition film. The audience, however, made it clear which version won the vote.
7. Friends with Benefits vs. No Strings Attached (2011)
Rom-com déjà vu moment in 2011, when two very similar stories of friends trying out casual hookups were released several months apart. No Strings Attached starred Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, and Friends with Benefits starred Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. Both were adorable, but it was kind of confusing trying to recall which one starred which couple.
6. Antz vs. A Bug’s Life (1998)
The bug war became one of the biggest twin picture wars of the ’90s. DreamWorks’ Antz gave us Woody Allen as a neurotic work ant, and Pixar’s A Bug’s Life amused us with the more child-friendly adventure of Flik and his crew. Talk of corporate espionage only served to fan the flames, but children across the board just knew they now had two animated bug films to look at.
5. Armageddon vs. Deep Impact (1998)
Capsules summer blockbuster: saving the world from a killer asteroid in duplicate. Michael Bay’s loud, red-white-and-blue Armageddon starred Bruce Willis and Aerosmith power ballads, but Deep Impact opted for calmer with Morgan Freeman at the helm as president. Same premise, different tone: blow up space rocks before they blow us up.
4. Volcano vs. Dante’s Peak (1997)
1997 was when Hollywood went mad. Volcano concocted Los Angeles under attack from lava, and Dante’s Peak set Pierce Brosnan up against a lethal eruption in the middle of America. The two movies delivered disaster-movie thrills, but with the added dividend of twice the lava chaos for your money.
3. The Prestige vs. The Illusionist (2006)
Magicians took over the big screen in 2006 as The Prestige and The Illusionist both descended into tales of mystery, obsession, and sleight of hand. Nolan’s Prestige opted for psychological sparring among warring magicians, while The Illusionist built a romantic fable. Both were stylish and moody, but Nolan’s breathtaking finale made it the one to create more cultural ripples.
2. Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat (1994–1995)
The mid-’90s witnessed the ultimate showdown: two arcade arcade fighters pitted against one another on the big screen. Street Fighter boasted Jean-Claude Van Damme starring in the proceedings, while Mortal Kombat brought ridiculous martial arts and a theme song still hummable now. Both were thumbs-downed by critics, but box office sales (and nostalgia) are louder than words.
1. Big vs. Vice Versa vs. Like Father Like Son (1987–1988)
Body-swapping comedies were suddenly ubiquitous in the late ’80s. Like Father Like Son and Vice Versa both toyed with the parent-kid switch equation, while Tom Hanks’ Big made the concept an instant classic with both heart and humor. One of them became an Oscar-nominated cult favorite, the others more offbeat time capsules.
Occasionally, it’s simply a matter of two crews riding the same cultural wave. Other times, competitive studios compete to get there first, or even allegations of concepts “borrowing” their way around town. The fact is, Hollywood has long lived on trends, and in today’s content-drenched world, the chances of seeing double are only growing. So the next time you see two suspiciously alike movies falling back-to-back, just keep in mind: in Hollywood, imitation isn’t flattery, it’s virtually tradition.