12 memorable movie twins

Twice the action, twice the adventure!

This week marks the release of Kray brothers biopic Legend, starring Tom Hardy as the two notorious brothers. So what better time to look back on some of cinema's most memorable twins who - across the years - have brought killer plot twists, unique character development and in the case of identical siblings, a lot of duplicitous tomfoolery. Here are 12 of our favourites.

Sisters (1973)

The twins: Brian DePalma's homage to Hitchcock cast Margot Kidder as two conjoined twins separated at birth; Danielle Breton a model-turned-actress and the delirious Dominique who refuses to allow her sister a chance at a lovelife.

Double trouble: As is later revealed Dominique died in the separation surgery. Danielle responded to the trauma by taking on her sister's personality - and embraced it to kill her own suitors? Talk about self-sabotage.

Stuck On You (2003)

The twins: Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon play conjoined twins Walt and Bob Tenor who, despite being attached at the liver, strive to live their own separate lives. The exuberant Walt dreams of making it in Hollywood, while his humble brother is content running their short-stop diner Quikee Burger.

Double trouble: Walt's booze-fuelled binge scores both he and Bob a night in the slammer. And not only that, his brother is saddled with the hideous morning hangover as most of the liver is his.

Twins (1988)

The twins: The result of a scientific experiment wherein the dominant strong genes were siphoned into Julius (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and the remaining 'genetic garbage' channeled into his twin brother Vincent (Danny DeVito) this pair play off their noted differences to humorous effect. Jules is smart and athletic and Vince is cynical and streetwise. Perfect comedy pairing.

Double trouble: After only a handful of days in each's others company they manage to foil a string of criminals intent on killing them - it's a whole crazy '80s subplot involving stolen merchandise - AND bag the babes.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2014)

The twins: He's a speedster, and she can mess with your mind. Together Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are the the newest members of The Avengers, with specific abilities that make them indispensable when it comes to taking out Ultron.

Double trouble: Deeming Stark responsible for their parents' deaths, the pair team up with the big bad. Scarlet Witch plagues the Avengers with terrifying visions while Quicksilver runs rings around Cap and Thor.

Harry Potter series (2001-2011)

The twins: The mischievous element at Hogwarts are Ron's older twin brothers Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps). Adored by all the houses - yes, even Slytherin - the wise-cracking duo offer a glimpse at the silliness to be had when you're a young wizard without a care in the world.

Double trouble: One of the best acts of teen rebellion, the brothers conjure up a momentous fireworks display in the Great Hall during a test. A great response to having to sit exams.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

The twins: Simply known as "The Twins" this dreadlocked pair (played by Neil and Adrian Rayment) of exiled programs are the evil henchmen you don't want to mess with. Aside from the fact that they're teleporting ghosts - with an arsenal of rather sharp blades - they also don matching white outfits to further confuse matters.

Double trouble: Attacking Morpheus and Trinity during the freeway chase scene, they blat in and out of existence so fast making any chance of defeating them nigh-on impossible.

Basket Case (1982)

The twins: When his mother dies during childbirth, Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck)takes it upon himself to care for his conjoined twin brother Belial with whom he has a bizarre telepathic link. Sharing a womb was perhaps the only time this mismatched couple displayed any physical similarities, Duane is a regular guy, while Belial is an evil gelatinous blob that lives in a basket.

Double trouble: The brothers track down the doctors responsible for their separation surgery. Duane barricades the door while Belial goes to town on Dr. Kutter, gnawing on her neck before using her face as a scalpel dart board.

The Prestige (2006)

The twins: Both played by Christian Bale, noted magician Alfred Borden and his identical twin brother Fallon are duplicitous scoundrels who trade on their looks to completely fool their rival Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman). When one loses two fingers, the other removes the same two on his hand. Now that's dedication to one's art.

Double trouble: The impact of The Prestige's twist ending hinged on the revelation that Borden's assistant is actually his twin brother, a testament to both director Christopher Nolan's misdirection and the willingness of audiences and Angier to fall for the brothers' ploy.

Dead Ringers (1988)

The twins: Identical twin brothers (masterfully played by Jeremy Irons) Beverly and Elliot share a face and a profession: they work together as a pair of unhinged New York City gynecologists. Hippocratic oaths mean zip to this duo.

Double trouble: Aside from the lengthy tirades about operating on 'mutant women' with an assortment of truly horrific surgical implements, it's the brothers ease with which they trade sexual partners. Sharing is caring, but that's just cruel...

The Shining (1980)

The twins: The twin daughters (played by real-life siblings Louise and Lisa Burns) of former Overlook Hotel caretaker Charles Grady are long-since deceased yet their ghosts can often be spotted lingering in hallways and generally creeping out the guests.

Double trouble: The spectral sisters appear before young Danny Torrance, flashes of their grisly demise terrifying the poor lad along with their steady mantra "Come play with us Danny, forever and ever and ever..."

Adaptation (2002)

The twins: When commissioned to write the script for Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief Charlie Kaufman nixed a straight-up adaptation, and instead wrote himself and his fictional twin Donald into the film. Charlie (Nicolas Cage) is a struggling screenwriter, wrestling with how best to pen a faithful version of Orlean's story, while his dead-end brother Donald (also Cage) ends up selling his first script for six figures.

Double trouble: They pull one over on Orlean when Donald interviews her at depth masquerading as Charlie. If anything, she deserved it; especially as she later plots to kill the brothers.

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

The twins: The son and daughter of Anakin and Padme are perhaps cinema's most iconic pair of twins - and they barely resemble one another! Separated at birth, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) unite as adults, unaware that they're actually related.

Double trouble: All that flirtation and bubbling sexual undercurrent throughout the first film... the word 'twincest' springs to mind when their true connection is later revealed.