Twinless will have you squirming in your seat with the impressive performances from Dylan O’Brien and James Sweeney.
In Twinless, two grief-stricken, lonely young men realise that they are perfect opposites. One is gay and the other is straight, though the latter did kiss a man once. This is Dennis (the film’s writer-director James Sweeney) and Roman (Dylan O’Brien), respectively, who are united in the throes of grief after the death of their identical twin siblings.
Sweeney’s psychological comedy is an intimate character study that explores the power of male loneliness and the extremes it can lead to. Sweeney’s psychological comedy meets Roman as he’s collapsing under the loss of his identical twin brother, Rocky, who was his “built-in best friend” and his mother’s favourite child. Rocky was everything Roman was not: booksmart, cultured, self-assured, charming and gay. But every time Roman looks in the mirror, he sees his twin.
Reeling from the loss of Rocky, Roman joins a twin bereavement support group. There, he meets fellow twinless twin Dennis. Trauma bonding over the shared nuance of their grief, they understand the exact emotional turmoil the other is experiencing surrounding the loss of their familial other half. It’s not long before the distance between them closes and they embark on an awkward friendship turned bromance.
They begin to lean on each other: grocery shopping as a duo, late-night chats, and road trips that start to resemble dates. Their codependency quickly snowballs. Though Dennis is not the only new person in Roman’s life, he meets Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), a sweet receptionist at Dennis’ office, who gives Roman another reason to smile.
Twinless’ quirky exterior gives way to something entirely more intense
However, time and time again, it is Dennis that Roman returns to. They’ve coagulated into one being, parasitical with each other. In one scene, Dennis offers himself up as a Rocky stand-in, so Roman can vent and say what he wishes he could. O’Brien proves his impressive range in a monologue that sees hesitancy devolving into explosive anger and then devastating sobs. “You can talk about boys and I can talk about girls, and we both still like video games and pizza… everybody likes pizza!” he declares, a stunningly penned rumination on brotherhood and a love that exists despite difference.
O’Brien has a lot to handle with this film, but in this double act, it is Sweeney who stands out. He handles his slippery, unassuming character with careful hands and a wicked sense of humour, from an outrageous bob wig to his vacant stare that says a thousand words. His direction, too, is solid, making fine use of placing O’Brien in a new light and keeping viewers on their toes with perfectly timed twists. Tapping into the stories we tell ourselves of who we are and how we find connection, Twinless brilliantly delves into the yearning for a fulfilling bond… but how far would you go?
Then there’s the much-talked-about sex scenes. Intriguingly, these spicy yet brief sequences add another unexpected dimension to Roman and Dennis’s connection, which is jaw-dropping. However, the energy shifts suddenly, and without revealing anything, Twinless’ quirky exterior gives way to something entirely more intense. What began as a cosy bromance transforms into a dark thriller that will have you squirming in your seat.
Twinless was screened at the London Film Festival. The film does not currently have a UK release date.
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