Döppelganger Paul on AllMovie

A man discovers he has an emotional and spiritual connection to a total stranger -- a stranger who doesn't seem especially interested in him -- in this dark comedy from directors Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand. Karl (Tygh Runyan) is a would-be writer with few friends and remarkably poor social skills, though he doesn't seem to be bothered by his social failings. However, when he has a near death experience in public, the last person he sees before he passes out is a man named Paul (Brad Dryborough), and when he comes to Karl is convinced Paul is his double. Most folks -- Paul included -- don't imagine they look much alike, but they do share some personality traits, and after numerous attempts to contact him, Paul agrees to talk to Karl. As it happens, Paul used to be a copy editor and Karl is writing a book; after much convincing, Paul agrees to read the manuscript, even after he learns its nearly 20,000 pages long and bears the title A Book About How Much I Hate Myself. Months later, Karl still hasn't heard back from Paul about the book, but he senses something has gone awry when he learns a book similar to his own has been published, and he persuades Paul to join him on a road trip to confront the possible plagiarists. Doppelganger Paul was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.