The Separation (2003) User Reviews

distressing, depressing, and disturbing

[framptonhollis · 8/10 · 10 September 2017]

The animation is smooth and beautiful, but the film itself is anything but! "The Separation" is an unsettling portrayal of two conjoined twins separated as children without their consent and how they attempt to fix this past "mistake" in their adulthood. As you can imagine, things don't go over so well and a terrifying but ultimately tragic tale ensues. This is a CREEPY short, which should be expected from Robert Morgan at this point. I am not being hyperbolic when I say that Morgan has made some of the only films that can really SCARE me! In the darkest. most disturbed corners of my mind, Morgan sits beside the likes of David Lynch and The Brothers Quay; he is a true artist whose work can be both appealing and appalling, and "The Separation" is a perfect example of this. This short is very effective both dramatically and horrifically; the visuals can be strangely beautiful at times, but they can also be spine tinglingly disturbing. Within the film's unforgettable final moments lie some of the most memorable visuals in animation history!

If you like Tool videos you'll like this.

[ElijahCSkuggs · 8/10 · 1 December 2008]

Stop-animation and a siamese twin theme? Well, there ya go, that is all you need to know if you're wondering if you'll enjoy this movie or not. Honestly, it's that f@ckin simple. Me, being a twin and all, only cements and validates my opinion on this lil, weirdo short. Right? The Separation revolves around two conjoined brothers who when youngsters went through a operation to separate one another. From the get go you quickly realize the two boys loved being together and when you get to see them as adults it's very clear they still regret being split apart. And that is when they decide to put a stop to that.

With a dark and creepy atmosphere the short really does a nice job immersing you into their apocalyptic type setting. The puppets, the somber music, and stop-animation techniques feel very similar to a Tool (band) video. So there are actually three things that will help you decide if you want to see this movie or not. Tool type art style, stop animation and a siamese twin theme.

Definitely check it out if you can find it and as well if you have 9 minutes to spare. Weird, fascinating and intriguing stuff.

A beautifully dark short

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 31 October 2022]

One of the best shorts made by Robert Morgan.

Underneath the eerie atmosphere that permeates the whole story from beginning to end, there is a melancholic, emotional tale that is ultimately heartbreaking instead of creepy.

As usual, the visceral quality of the stop-motion is one of the strongest aspect of Morgan's filmography.

I wonder if this was at least somewhat inspired by David Cronenberg's film Dead Ringers. In all sincerity, I must say I enjoyed way Morgan's take on this kind of premise.

I also must say I like a lot the plot summary provided by Imdb, which is actually more poetical than the simple description given by Morgan in Youtube of this short. But then again, the dark beauty of the imagery speaks by itself.

Stunning

[dannenvance-1 · 10/10 · 17 October 2006]

The use of the word "breathtaking" should be reserved for things such as this. My wife and I watched this short film as part of the compilation "Small Gauge Trauma". We were both in awe of the intensity of this film. Few and far between are the pieces of art that achieve perfection. This is one of them, equaling and perhaps even surpassing in it's complexity the short film "More" by Mark Osborne. Do yourself a favor and see this film. Share it with others. Although be sure to know your audience. You could scare some people away by too strongly endorsing this in mixed company as it is truly a very exceptional, read as weird/strange/creepy, piece.

A poignant story of conjoined siamese twins. Grotesque yet poetic and touching.

[rishikaysh · 10/10 · 5 June 2006]

This is a poignant story of conjoined siamese twins. Despite the grotesque and horrifying look of the film, i found it very poetic and touching. This short has almost all the elements of a good short film. It has speed, point, and surprise. Before the end I was expecting the film to get too linear and emotional. However, robert morgan is an intelligent guy and he gives us a big shock. Better you enjoy the film yourself. Because of the grotesque look of the character and overall atmosphere, it's likely that you switch the channel if you ever accidentally come across 'the separation'. But i recommend that you see morgan's amazing 'the separation'.

Very well crafted

[Gordon-11 · 23 August 2008]

This short film is abut two conjoint twins who got separated when they were young. They want to be back together again, with disastrous results.

I am amazed by the level of production of this short film. All the figures and even the sets are skilfully designed and made. The music is very atmospheric, suiting and lifting the level of sadness and melancholy throughout the film. Above all, I am the most amazed by the amount of plot they fit in in just 9 minutes. The complex psychological issues facing conjoined twins before and following separation is portrayed very well, and this is done without a single word has been uttered. "The Separation" is very well crafted, and I recommend it.

Creepy alone isn't enough

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 29 July 2016]

"The Separation" is a 9-minute animated short film from 2003, so it will soon have its 15th anniversary. It was written and directed by Robert Morgan and it was his third work as a filmmaker. This is the story of two Siamese Twins who are waiting for their separation as the title already tells us. But when will it happen? Will it ever happen at all? They age considerably as the film progresses. I personally thought this was a fairly disturbing and creepy little film that lived through its atmosphere and this is also the most memorable aspect of the film. Unfortunately, it is also the only memorable aspect as I cannot say I enjoyed the watch very much or that I was well-entertained or that I cared for the main characters and their fates. The film delivers through the setting and the dark tone, but this alone is not enough to let me recommend the watch. I give it a thumbs-down.