Ever feel like you’re invisible? Not in a cool, "I have a superpower" way, but in a "the guy at the deli forgot my order for the third time this week" kind of way. That is the baseline for Simon James. He is the protagonist of the 2013 film The Double, and honestly, he’s probably the most pathetic character Jesse Eisenberg has ever played. And that is saying something when you consider his resume of socially awkward geniuses.
But then there’s James Simon. He looks exactly like Simon. Same face. Same hair. Same lanky frame. But James is the version of ourselves we all pretend to be on LinkedIn. He’s charismatic, he’s a shark, and he’s played by—you guessed it—Jesse Eisenberg.
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What Actually Happens in The Double Jesse Eisenberg?
The movie is a fever dream. Directed by Richard Ayoade (yes, Moss from The IT Crowd), it’s based on a novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky. But instead of 19th-century Russia, we get this grimy, "retro-future" nightmare that looks like a Soviet office building from the 1980s that hasn't been dusted since the Cold War.
Simon James has worked at this nameless government bureau for seven years. Seven years! And yet, the security guard doesn't recognize him. His boss, played by a wonderfully dismissive Wallace Shawn, can’t remember his name. He spends his nights spying on a coworker named Hannah (Mia Wasikowska) with a telescope. It’s creepy, sure, but in this world, everyone is a bit of a voyeur because they’re all so desperately lonely.
Then James shows up.
Here is the kicker: nobody else notices they look identical. To the rest of the office, James is a rising star. To Simon, James is a parasite. It starts with James asking Simon to do his work. Then James starts dating the girl Simon loves. Eventually, James isn't just a coworker; he’s a replacement.
The Technical Wizardry of the Dual Role
How did they actually film it? This wasn't some big-budget Marvel CGI fest. Ayoade and his team had to be smart.
The production used a mix of old-school body doubles and seamless digital stitching. But the real heavy lifting was done by Eisenberg himself. He didn't have different costumes to help him out. Both characters wear the same ill-fitting, brownish-grey suit.
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- Simon moves like he’s trying to apologize for occupying space. His shoulders are hunched. He mumbles.
- James takes up the whole room. He leans back. He talks fast and with total authority.
Eisenberg has mentioned in interviews that playing James was actually "easier" because James feels good about himself. When he played Simon, he felt the character's misery. It’s a masterclass in physical acting. If you watch the scenes where they interact, the eyelines are perfect. That’s hard to do. You’re talking to a tennis ball on a stick, but you have to make the audience believe you’re fighting with your own soul.
Why This Movie is a Total Trip
The sound design is what really gets people. Richard Ayoade reportedly spent five months just on the audio. You hear every industrial hiss, every metallic groan of the elevators, and this weirdly jaunty Japanese pop music that cuts through the gloom. It makes you feel as claustrophobic as Simon.
It’s a "double" movie, but it’s also a "bureaucracy is hell" movie. It feels like Brazil or Eraserhead. Everything is broken. The computers have tiny screens. The lighting is always a sickly yellow or a deep, bruised blue.
There is this one scene where Simon tries to order a tea at a diner, and the waitress just refuses to give it to him. Not because they’re out of tea, but just because the universe has decided Simon doesn't get what he wants. It’s frustrating. It’s funny. It’s deeply uncomfortable.
The Deep Meaning (Sorta)
Is James real? Or is he a hallucination?
The movie doesn't give you a neat little answer with a bow on top. Some fans think James is a manifestation of Simon's subconscious—the "id" taking over because the "ego" is too weak. Others think the world is just so broken that it literally started spitting out duplicates.
What’s clear is the theme of identity. In a world of mass production and data entry, are any of us actually unique? If someone else can do your job better, look like you, and talk to your crush better than you can, do you even exist anymore?
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
If you haven't seen The Double yet, or if you're planning a rewatch, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch the posture: Pay attention to how Eisenberg’s height seems to change between the two characters. It’s all in the spine.
- Listen to the background: The "diegetic" sounds (noises within the movie's world) are designed to make you feel anxious. Notice when the machines get louder.
- Check the lighting: Notice how James is often lit with more "heroic" angles while Simon is frequently swallowed by shadows.
- Look for the cameos: Keep an eye out for Paddy Considine, Chris O'Dowd, and Sally Hawkins in small, weird roles.
This isn't a "popcorn movie." It’s the kind of film that stays in the back of your brain like a splinter. It’s bleak, it’s sharp, and it proves that Jesse Eisenberg is way more than just "the Facebook guy."
If you're looking for a double feature, pair this with Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy. It’s another 2013-2014 era "doppelgänger" movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal. While Enemy is more of a psychological erotic thriller, The Double is a satirical descent into madness. Both will leave you staring at the ceiling at 2 AM wondering if that guy you saw at the grocery store who looked just like you was actually you.
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To dive deeper into the technical side of the film, look for the "Framestore" VFX breakdown of the movie. It shows how they aligned the shots of the two Jesses so they could physically cross each other’s paths without the "split-screen" effect looking obvious. It's a great example of how low-budget ingenuity can beat high-budget spectacle any day of the week.