The Double 2011

Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg), a bright-eyed Canadian expatriate in London, finds himself in a series of unfortunate events after exiting a tube train with his briefcase getting stuck in the door, resulting in its destruction as the train departs. As he trudges to work without his ID badge, now lost along with his briefcase, he’s forced to navigate an unfamiliar terrain of office politics and bureaucratic red tape. His attempts to share innovative ideas with his boss (Wallace Shawn) are met with skepticism, but a chance encounter with Melanie (Yasmin Paige), the boss’s daughter, sets him on a new path as her tutor.

A visit to his mother (Phyllis Somerville) in a nursing home is marked by an unsettling conversation with another resident who cryptically warns Simon that he’s “not right.” Back at his apartment, Simon’s fascination with Hannah (Mia Wasikowska), a coworker he admires, takes on a new dimension as he uses a telescope to spy on her from the comfort of his own window. His curiosity is piqued by her apparent destruction of art pieces, which she subsequently disposes of, only for Simon to later retrieve and reassemble them in his apartment.

The fateful night that changes everything finds Simon witnessing a tragic event: a man’s fatal leap from the floor above Hannah’s apartment. The police investigation that follows is marked by a sense of irony and tragedy, as detectives explain that had the jumper landed just a few feet to the right, he would have survived with medical attention. This somber encounter sets Simon on a mission to reconnect with Hannah, whom he takes out to dinner. However, their evening together is disrupted when his mother calls, prompting him to return to the table and find her gone, leaving behind a cryptic note promising a future meeting. In response, Simon makes a bold move by trading in his TV for cash and purchasing a gift for Hannah, setting the stage for an uncertain but hopeful future.

As Simon goes about his daily routine at work, he can’t help but be drawn to the enigmatic figure of James, who bears an uncanny resemblance to himself. The coincidence is too great to ignore, and as fate would have it, Simon faints upon laying eyes on James, only to awaken to a world oblivious to their striking similarities. As they embark on a night out at a bar, James proves to be the perfect knight in shining armor, effortlessly dispatching a threatening drunk with a well-placed headbutt, leaving Simon and him to make a hasty exit. Their train ride becomes an opportunity for Simon to confide in James about his unrequited love for Hannah, lamenting his own perceived invisibility. As they return to Simon’s apartment, the similarities between them become increasingly apparent.

Meanwhile, James’s newfound influence at work catches Hannah’s attention, and she begins to pursue him romantically. Simon sees an opportunity to get closer to her by assuming James’s identity, with the real James whispering cues via earpiece to guide his actions. The ruse works wonders until Simon becomes overwhelmed and the two of them switch places once more, leaving Hannah none the wiser as James seizes the moment to steal a kiss in the middle of the restaurant. As Simon struggles to cope with the chaos, he finds himself switching identities again when he meets Melanie, who is instantly smitten with James’s charms.

Feeling like he’s been pushed to the limit, Simon concocts a plan to expose James by pretending to be him and convincing Hannah to visit his apartment - conveniently located above hers. The ploy succeeds in ending James and Hannah’s relationship and earns James’s wrath. He blackmails Simon, demanding the key to his apartment or threatening to reveal compromising photos of “Simon” and Melanie to their boss. With no choice but to comply, Simon hands over the key, unaware that James has been manipulating him all along.

As Hannah begins to suspect infidelity on James’s part, she asks Simon if she can use his apartment to spy on her boyfriend. Simon agrees, but little does he know that James possesses the only key to his apartment, ensuring that Hannah will never uncover the truth about his supposed indiscretions. The discovery of this betrayal sends Hannah reeling, and when she confronts James about his perceived infidelity, he responds by tackling Simon into a wall and lightly grazing his throat with a knife.

The following day, Simon’s fury erupts when James regales a circle of coworkers with a joke that sends them into guffaws. Simon’s indignation boils over as he accuses James of being an imposter, claiming he has pilfered Simon’s visage. The tirade is so intense that it culminates in Simon’s termination from his job. Consumed by despair, Simon retreats to his home, armed with a spare key and a suicide note, intent on ending his life by leaping from his window. As he gazes out at the street below, his attention is drawn to Hannah lying unconscious across the way. He rushes her to the hospital, where the diagnosis reveals she has overdosed on pills and suffered a miscarriage as a result of a tryst with none other than James.

Upon returning to Hannah’s apartment, Simon finds himself beset by her counsel to take his own life. As he rummages through his jacket pockets, Hannah discovers the scrapbook containing mementos of her art, which Simon had been secretly collecting. This revelation serves only to further disillusion him.

In the aftermath, Simon learns that his mother has passed away, and he hastens to her funeral, where he confronts James in a fit of rage. The ensuing melee leaves both men bearing identical injuries. As Simon’s anger subsides, he is struck by the irony of their shared fate. In a sudden turn of events, a priest intervenes, using his shovel to bury Simon beneath the freshly filled grave.

Simon awakens later beside the grave, only to make his way to Hannah’s apartment and confess his desire for visibility and recognition. Seizing James as he sleeps, Simon handcuffs him to his bed and dials the suicide prevention hotline, claiming someone is poised to take their own life. With James now awake and watching through Simon’s telescope, Simon offers a jaunty farewell before launching himself off Hannah’s balcony. A series of unfortunate events unfolds as Simon plummets towards the awning below, sustaining grievous injuries upon impact.

Hannah rushes to his side as an ambulance arrives on the scene. Meanwhile, back in James’ apartment, James meets his own demise, bleeding out due to his injuries. As Simon and Hannah are whisked away in the ambulance, flanked by the Colonel, the latter remarks that Simon is a special individual. With a hint of wry humor, Simon responds, “I like to think I’m pretty one-of-a-kind.”