Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Twinless’ Review: Dylan O’Brien Mourns His Dead Twin In James Sweeney’s Heartfelt & Unhinged Comedy — Sundance Film Festival
In writer, director and actor James Sweeney’s sophomore feature Twinless, he navigates loneliness, anxiety, depression and other common millennial pastimes through an equally comedic and heartfelt arc … complete with a few “WTF” moments.
Dylan O’Brien stars as Roman, a young man grieving the loss of his late twin brother Rocky. At a twin bereavement support group, he meets Dennis (Sweeney), who’s struggling with his own loss. Missing their respective other halves, the two form a bromance while healing from their shared trauma, but a bizarre secret threatens their newfound friendship.
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O’Brien and Sweeney have a comedic chemistry that cannot be denied, with the former alternating between the emotionally insecure and naive Roman, as well as his muscled, mustachioed, hunky twin Rocky, who evokes one too many encounters with “mean gays” who are just as misunderstood as the next.
Navigating life as a “singleton,” Roman moves into Rocky’s apartment and begins having run-ins with people who used to know his late twin. It’s a bizarre experience for him as strangers begin breaking down in tears around him, but he goes with it.
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Meanwhile, Dennis is what the LGBTQ community might endearingly (or not) classify as a messy gay, while his new pal offers a judgment-free friendship that they both need. Working through complex emotions in truly unfathomable circumstances, he operates in a “yes, and” style that results in compulsive lies and plenty of laughs.
The quick jokes offer a welcome reprieve from the agony underneath both characters’ goofy, awkward façades, which they peel back throughout the film.
While Roman struggles with the estranged relationship he had with Rocky over his sexuality, Dennis is left with guilt over the last words he said to his other half: “F*ck you!” As they come to terms with their losses, they help each other feel seen in a way no twin quite could.
As a talented multihyphenate, Sweeney unpacks the most nuanced scenarios fraught with the universal emotions of being rejected, losing a loved one and feeling like your other half just doesn’t exist. While their motives for seeking out companionship ultimately differ, with one harboring less-than-honest intentions, will their friendship prove to survive the impossible (and slightly unhinged)?
Producers are David Permut and Sweeney.
Title: Twinless
Section: Sundance (U.S. Dramatic Competition)
Sales Agent: Republic Pictures
Director-screenwriter: James Sweeney
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi, Tasha Smith, Chris Perfetti
Running time: 1 hr 40 mins
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