The Premise

In 1990s Los Angeles, private investigator Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) helps an amnesiac woman nicknamed “Grace” (Emma Thompson) who suffers from night terrors involving scissors. Seeking to unlock her memory, Mike brings her to hypnotist Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi). Past-life regression hypnosis reveals a 1948 tragedy: German composer Roman Strauss was sent to the electric chair for murdering his pianist wife, Margaret, with a pair of antique scissors.

The Wild Twist Explained

As Mike and Grace fall in love, they suspect they are the reincarnations of Roman and Margaret destined to repeat a fatal cycle. However, the climax delivers two massive reveals:

• Gender-Swapped Reincarnation: Reincarnation did take place, but with reversed identities. Mike Church is the reincarnation of Margaret (the murdered wife), while Grace is the reincarnation of Roman (the wrongfully executed husband).

• The Real Killer Unmasked: Roman was innocent. The 1948 murder was committed by Franklyn Madson as a young boy, driven by a obsession with Margaret. Decades later, an elderly Madson uses hypnosis to manipulate Mike and Grace into destroying each other to complete his original crime.

Notable Performances

• Kenneth Branagh & Emma Thompson: Lead dual roles across two distinct eras—1940s black-and-white Hollywood noir and 1990s full-color Los Angeles.

• Robin Williams: Delivers a scene-stealing, uncredited performance as Dr. Cozy Carlisle, a disgraced, cynical ex-psychiatrist working in a supermarket meat department who explains the mechanics of karma.

• Derek Jacobi & Andy García: Star as the sinister antique dealer/hypnotist and a veteran newspaper reporter who links the two eras together.