Action · Science Fiction · Thriller

Gemini Man

Ang Lee, 2019

Henry Brogan, a retiring sniper, learns his own agency wants him dead, and the killer on his trail is a younger clone of himself. Will Smith plays both men. It is a chase movie with an eye on technology, since Ang Lee shot it at 120 frames per second and used visual effects for the younger face.

Gemini Man (2019) poster

At a glance

Gemini Man is a 2019 action, science fiction and thriller film directed by Ang Lee. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (1 psychology, 2 cinematography and 1 narrative), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Phantom Thread uses several of the same techniques.

Psychology

Psychological Doubling

Pairing the main character with a second character who mirrors them. The double shows what the hero wants, fears or secretly is.

How this film uses it

Henry sees his younger self across the gun sights. Junior has Henry's skill and habits without Henry's regrets, and fighting him forces Henry to look at who he used to be.

Where to see it

Henry's ambush: Henry ambushes Junior and explains that he is a clone, naming traits only the two of them could know. Junior, heartbroken, goes back to confront Clay.

Cinematography

High Frame Rate Cinematography

Shooting at many more frames per second than the usual 24, so motion looks smooth and every detail is sharp. Faces and movement feel very close and present.

How this film uses it

The film was shot at 120 frames per second in 3D on modified ARRI Alexa cameras, which needed far more light than normal filming. The bulky 3D cameras made the street chase hard to shoot. Some critics praised the clear action and others said it looked like a video game.

Where to see it

Cartagena chase: A motorcycle chase runs through the streets of Cartagena, Colombia, with the hero and the assassin on motorcycles.

Cinematography

Digital De-Aging

Using computer effects to make an actor look decades younger, or to build a younger copy of them. The same face plays 2 ages in one scene.

How this film uses it

Junior is a younger digital version of Will Smith, with effects from Weta Digital. When both men share a frame, you have to accept 2 ages of one face. Reactions to the effect were mixed.

Where to see it

Colombia fight: Fighting off the assassin, Henry realizes the man bears an uncanny resemblance to himself as a young man.

Narrative

Ambiguous Antagonist

Writing an opponent the film never fully labels as evil. Their motives mix ordinary human wants with real harm, and they may even help the hero grow.

How this film uses it

Junior is sent to kill Henry, but he is a lab-made young man who wants to know where he came from. His loyalty to Clay cracks once he learns the truth, and he ends up helping the man he was sent to kill.

Where to see it

Junior and Clay: A heartbroken Junior confronts Clay, who insists Junior must defeat Henry in order to surpass him. Junior later allies with Henry to bring Clay down.

Questions

Gemini Man: quick answers

What filmmaking techniques does Gemini Man use?
CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Gemini Man (2019): Psychological Doubling, High Frame Rate Cinematography, Digital De-Aging and Ambiguous Antagonist.
Who directed Gemini Man?
Ang Lee directed Gemini Man, released in 2019. CineCode also covers Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Ice Storm (1997), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hulk (2003), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Lust, Caution (2007).
What films are similar to Gemini Man?
Films that share techniques with Gemini Man include Phantom Thread (2017), Black Rain (1989), Whiplash (2014), Black Swan (2010).