Dead Ringers (1988) dir. David Cronenberg, Morgan Creek Productions/Telefim Canada/Mantle Clinic II
Canadian body horror you say? You came to the right place
Doctors Elliot and Beverly Mantle (Jeremy Irons) are identical twin gynecologists in Toronto. Elliot is the more forward of the two and they've been running a little hustle on their dates. Elliot approaches a target and has his fun, but when the gal starts getting boring or Elliot is tired he passes Beverly off as himself and his brother's sad-sack routine is enough to send them away.
The scam works for a good while until they run into actress Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold). Elliot puts the moves on her but he suggests Beverly take the lead for once. Beverly does and he falls head over heels for her. She's everything he wants and she really enjoys the prescription drugs he can get her. Everything is great, at least until Claire figures out about the switch routine between Elliot and Beverly. She's angry, but she makes up with Beverly. Elliot can go hit the bricks.
But Claire has a career and leaves town for a shoot. Beverly doesn't take it very well and has some vivid body horrors that plague his waking days. He hires an artist (Stephan Lack) to craft some tools that would deal with the monstrous body parts he sees.
Beverly is still insisting things are fine, but during a routine procedure he takes the bizarre tools into the operating room with him...
Irons steals the show. The body horror aspect is toned down when compared to Cronenberg's earlier work but disturbing in all the right ways.
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