Twinless

Rating 7/10

Twinless is a strange mix of dark comedy and psychological drama. It delivers a series of twists, a trio of jaw-droppers that fundamentally change the story’s trajectory early on. Offbeat and sometimes uncomfortable to watch, the indie film is emotionally raw in a way that gets under your skin. James Sweeney doesn’t let us off the hook with his lead character. He asks us to feel the messiness of his humanity, even when we don’t entirely approve of his choices.

Writer, director, producer, and lead actor James Sweeney takes on the role of Dennis. He is awkward and sensitive, so he elicits our compassion. Although, as we get to know him better, his actions make it difficult for us to fully like him. Socially inept and lonely, he oscillates between pathetic and pitiable, creating a tension that keeps the audience unsure whether to empathize with him or be frustrated with him.

Dennis is an isolated man whose twin, Dean, has passed away. He joins a support group and meets Roman (Dylan O’Brien), another twin also grieving the loss of his brother Rocky. Dennis and Roman become fast friends, but the details of their respective pasts remain murky.

Roman and Dennis couldn’t be more different. Dennis is prickly and condescending. Yet he is so desperate for friendship that his loneliness is achingly real. Roman, meanwhile, is far more personable, a broey dude who concedes he isn’t the “brightest tool in the shed,” in his own words.
“Can you not laugh at me?” Roman admonishes Dennis. “If I get something wrong, tell me ’cause then I can know better.”
“Yeah, of course. I’m sorry,” Dennis pauses. “Would now be a good time to point out that I think you meant to say sharpest tool in the shed?”
The two men form an unlikely connection, and it appears to be a heartwarming story about people helping one another. But Dennis’s push into Roman’s life feels calculated.

As the situation surrounding Dennis becomes clearer, he becomes a character increasingly harder to support. Nevertheless, he still evokes sympathy for his vulnerability. There’s a scene where Dennis watches It Takes Two, the Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen movie. He’s caught up in nostalgia and longing, not just for companionship, but for an idealized twin link. It’s small, but it breaks through: a glimpse of who he is underneath. That moment renders his behavior as someone driven by self-preservation, even if misguided. The screenplay leans into discomfort, forcing the viewer to wrestle with that dichotomy. It strikes a balance, veering somewhere between a violent thriller and a laugh-out-loud comedy.

As Dennis and Roman’s friendship deepens, the new people entering their lives only make their bond more complicated. Roman introduces Dennis to potential dates, first Sammy (François Arnaud), then George (Chris Perfetti), creating a wider social circle. Dennis likewise suggests Marcie (Aisling Franciosi) to Roman, further entangling the web of interactions. Marcie isn’t just another friend; she works alongside Dennis, and that professional overlap bleeds into his personal space, heightening the tension in his already fraught relationship with Roman. The story carefully details these dynamics. Each interaction resonates as very consequential. The resulting entanglements get messy.

Twinless is a twisted comedy with an inescapable human sadness at its core. Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, it received critical acclaim, earning the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the Jury Award for Acting for Dylan O’Brien’s dual performance as Roman and Rocky. O’Brien (The Maze Runner franchise) deserves kudos for believably embodying two radically different brothers. His dopey but vulnerable Roman is a particularly disarming bro. Likewise, James Sweeney is a unique talent who reminds me of the darkly comedic individuals in the work of Todd Solondz or Mike White. I can’t fully embrace every transgressive idea that Sweeney is presenting here, but there’s enough innovation that leaves me eager to see what he does next.

09-11-25