Imagine waking up after a motorcycle crash and remembering only one person on Earth: your identical twin brother.
My colleague Rob Kelly ranked this one #1 on his list of documentaries like “Three Identical Strangers”.
Trailer for “Tell Me Who I Am”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- In 1982, 18-year-old Alex Lewis wakes from a coma after a motorcycle crash with no memory of his parents, home, childhood, or even his own name. But he instantly recognizes his identical twin brother, Marcus.
- For more than 20 years, Marcus hides the truth that their mother sexually abused both boys during childhood. Marcus believes Alex is better off never knowing what happened.
- After both parents die, the twins finally explore the family’s main house. They find hidden stacks of £50 notes, drawers full of sex toys, years of unopened presents addressed to them, and a photograph where someone cut the twins’ heads out of the picture.
Watch “Tell Me Who I Am”
You can watch “Tell Me Who I Am” on Netflix.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 94/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 87/100 (Users); 97/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Ed Perkins directed this 85-minute documentary. Instead of filling the film with reenactments and outside experts, Perkins keeps the focus on Alex and Marcus. The long, direct conversations between the brothers make each new detail hit even harder.
Release Date: October 18, 2019
Other Unique Stuff
- Alex jokes that he lost his virginity twice. He completely forgot sleeping with his girlfriend before the accident, so their relationship felt new to him after he woke up.
- Marcus says their mother also passed the boys to male friends who abused them.
Wrap Up:
“Tell Me Who I Am” starts as one of the strangest amnesia stories I’ve ever seen. Then it becomes one of the most painful family documentaries I’ve watched.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc