Review: ‘Twinsters’ a remarkable story of identical twins separated at birth

At initial glance, the terrific “Twinsters” might appear to be something of a real life “Parent Trap,” but as this cosmopolitan documentary progresses, it migrates from cute and effervescent to seriously affecting.

Korean-born, New Jersey-raised Samantha Futerman had been living the life of a 21-year-old actress attempting to build a resume in Hollywood when she was first made aware of her doppleganger — a 21-year-old Korean-French fashion design student living in London named Anais Bordier.

Some extensive texting and Skyping led to the remarkable discovery that the two young women were, in fact, identical twins who had been separated at birth in South Korea, where they were put up for adoption several months later.

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That they managed to connect at all is a testament to the wide reach of social networking, but the intimate journey of self-discovery ultimately taken by the outgoing Samantha and the more introspective Anais, initially played out on little screens, turns particularly poignant when they attend a Korean Adoptees Conference in their native Busan.

As co-directed by Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto, the compelling story may have been born out of a virtual place, but there’s nothing like good-old-fashioned human contact to produce life’s biggest moments.

“Twinsters” is a lively — and quite lovely — take on contemporary notions of family and identity.

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“Twinsters”

MPAA rating: None.

Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes.

Playing: ArcLight Cinemas, Hollywood.