Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A twin brother helps his amnesiac sibling reconstruct their childhood, only to uncover a harrowing family secret.
The story
After Alex Lewis loses his memory in a motorcycle accident at age 18, his twin brother Marcus helps him reintegrate into life. Initially, Alex functions like a child, requiring Marcus to teach him basic skills and paint a picture of a happy, wealthy family. As Alex begins to mature and ask questions about their past, Marcus attempts to guide him through their history. However, the journey of rediscovery becomes complicated as they begin to explore the reality of their upbringing and the secrets hidden within their family's history.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The documentary follows Alex Lewis, who lost his memory in a 1982 motorcycle accident and remembers only his twin brother, Marcus. Marcus helps Alex reintegrate into life, initially presenting a fantasy of a happy, wealthy family. However, while cleaning out their parents' vast English estate, Alex discovers disturbing items and a photograph of the brothers at age ten, naked and with their heads cut off. Alex confronts Marcus about potential sexual abuse by their mother. For over 20 years, Marcus remains silent, causing Alex distress as he becomes obsessed with their mother's life. Eventually, Marcus reveals the truth: their mother sexually abused them and was involved in a child sex ring, volunteering her sons to male 'friends' across Britain for assault and rape until Marcus fought back at age 14. Marcus explains he kept the secret to protect Alex and cope with his own trauma.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 86
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ed Perkins
- Writers
- Alex Lewis · writer; Marcus Lewis · writer; Joanna Hodgkin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alex Lewis · Alex Lewis; Marcus Lewis · Marcus Lewis
- Genres
- documentary; documentary films about amnesia; documentary films about child abuse; documentary films about pedophilia; Films about child sexual abuse; Films about dysfunctional families; Works about dysfunctional families
- Themes
- amnesia; child abuse; family secrets; trauma; memory reconstruction
- Tone and mood
- harrowing; upsetting
- Setting
- An English estate house during the late 20th century and present day.
- Premise and plot tags
- documentary; true story; child abuse; amnesia
- Source material / true-story basis
- A 2013 book written by the twins and Joanna Hodgkin.
- Content notes
- pedophilia
- Reception
- The film received acclaim from critics after its release.
- Production trivia
- The film was commissioned by and aired on Netflix.; The documentary is split into three parts.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…