The bond between twins, particularly identical twins, is well-worn fodder for narratives. Writer, director, and star James Sweeney finds fertile new ground in exploring that connection, albeit in an unconventional fashion.
Identical twins Roman / Rocky (Dylan O’Brien) are at the heart of Twinless, Sweeney’s second feature, but the film finds its awkward, uncomfortable, and ultimately fascinating story in the aftermath of a significant rupture. Rocky, the gay half of the equation, is dead in the film’s opening moment (the offscreen sound of a car hitting a body can be heard), although the character is briefly seen later in a flashback that allows O’Brien to flex his acting chops by quickly establishing the pair as individuals in their own right.
The main crux of the film, however, is the budding friendship between Roman and Sweeney’s Dennis. The two meet at a grief support group for individuals who have lost their twin; Roman is intrigued that Dennis is gay but his brother Dean was not because it echoed Roman and Rocky’s relationship. The pair quickly begin supporting each other in tasks they previously did with their twin, such as grocery shopping and hanging out.
It’s not much of a spoiler to say that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Attentive audiences will connect the dots thanks to some meaning-laden dialogue early in the film and later confirmed in the aforementioned flashback. But while Sweeney’s screenplay withholds the reveal through the first act, Twinless isn’t a mystery/puzzle narrative.
If anything, Sweeney is most interested in how Dennis and Roman manage their grief (separately and together), and how messy these characters are despite their significantly different lived experiences.
Both actors deliver fantastic, nuanced performances. O’Brien hasn’t received enough credit for taking on an eclectic mix of unusual, complicated characters since his left behind teen-oriented fare like Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner, but he’s really blossomed into an understated dramatic actor. Roman is a fascinating man: a beefy gym stud with anger management issues and a simple disposition (in an early scene, he confuses lemons and limes and a recurring gag about Moscow, Idaho is killer).
By contrast, Dennis is well-educated and erudite, but he can also be mean, judgey, and frequently misconstrues social cues. It’s clearly a big deal for both men when they find someone who accepts them, faults and all. Naturally things will only become more complicated when Dennis begins developing an attraction to Roman, who is mostly oblivious, in part because he begins dating Dennis’ receptionist co-worker, Marcie (a delightful chipper Aisling Franciosi).
Twinless works in large part thanks to the strength of its lead performances, but Sweeney’s clever screenplay deserves a shout-out, as well. There are some exceedingly well-observed moments, particularly the small character-driven beats and the repeated instances that suggest the world operates in cycles or repeated patterns (see also: the film’s poster). Obviously these callbacks or mirrored moments speak to the uncanny relationship between twins and the interconnectedness of people, even when they themselves aren’t always aware of them.
This is thematically exemplified by Sweeney’s clever direction in two stand-out scenes. In one, Dennis records an unusual voice message on his phone (which Roman remarked upon earlier in the film). It turns out that the version Roman heard was the the last in a long line of aborted alternatives; these are all seen in a single long take as the camera slowly backs down a long hallway that is ultimately revealed to be a reflection in a mirror.
This exquisite shot is evoked later when Sweeney and cinematographer Greg Cotten split the screen to follow Dennis and Roman’s separate experiences at Marcie’s Halloween party. The audio cuts from one side to the other as Roman flirts with the host, while Dennis awkwardly mingles with Roman’s gay co-worker Sammy (François Arnaud). After several minutes, the split screen merges together again when Dennis spies on Roman and Marcie chatting in the attic in what is, once again, revealed to be a mirror image.
The other reason to recommend Twinless is because it is genuinely funny. A tolerance for dark, awkward humour is a must, though. This includes discomfort from Dennis’ escalating passive-aggressive jibes at Marcie (when the latter begins dating Roman) all the way to scenes of high level cringe such as grief support facilitator Charlotte (Tasha Smith) workshopping her “dead twin” stand-up comedy routine on the group. Special mention goes to Lauren Graham as the twins’ mother, Lisa, whose preferred coping mechanism is getting into profane screaming matches with her surviving son, including a memorable Christmas visit when Dennis tags along with Roman and Marcie.
Ultimately Twinless is a delightful tragi-dramedy about messy, complicated people who are experiencing grief and regret. Both O’Brien and Sweeney are exceptional in a film would make for a great double bill with this year’s queer parasocial thriller Lurker (IYKYK).
Twinless is not to be missed. 4/5
Twinless is set for release Sept 5, 2025
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