This is another movie where your enjoyment will be improved the less you know about the plot. At a basic level, it is the miraculous story of three men who discover that they are identical triplets separated at birth. From then on the film examines their lives post-discovery and the unexpected background of their peculiar situation.

As topics for investigative journalism go, there are few stories out there that are as immediately sensational as someone learning they are a triplet and director Tim Wardle is able to capture the feeling of their discovery. Through overlapping editing where the brothers’ recollections of their first meeting finish each other’s sentences, we feel their experience. In their breathless speech, they communicate the bewildering, almost euphoric moment where the impossible is slowly becoming possible.

The brothers (Eddy, Bobby, and David) prove to be charismatic subjects for the film. There’s a lot of pleasure to be had in noticing their similarities, despite being brought up in different household environments, and their differences, despite being identical triplets. More than anything its their instantaneous connection that is felt. An aunt talks about how they were rolling around with each other on the floor at their first meeting because they were already comfortable with each other. As Bobby says, “I opened the door…and there I was”. It’s heartwarming to see how readily they embrace their newfound siblings and easily integrate into each other’s lives.

After the initial surprise wears off, the next question becomes: how did this happen? None of the parents knew they were adopting a triplet and some claimed they would have gladly adopted all three had they known. This is were the film starts its unexpected turns. The transition to a darker tone happens naturally as the film becomes an exploration of morality and the debate of nature vs. nurture. Comparing the three families, one was more affluent, one was middle-class, and the other was blue-collar, each with distinct parenting styles. The film looks at the possible effects of each household and how they (potentially) changed the personalities of the triplets. Wardle is not interested in taking a definitive stance and instead lets each member of the families express their own thoughts, allowing viewers to formulate their own opinions. As both a retelling of an unbelievable true story and a thought piece, Three Identical Strangers presents an equally thrilling and provocative narrative.

4/5 stars.