At one particular point in the Sundance Audience Award-winning dramedy Twinless, Dennis (James Sweeney) says that humans are born alone and die alone, but that doesn’t apply if you’re a twin. When two people are so deeply connected and imbued into one another’s very fabric of being, how do they cope without their other half? This is the foundational idea at the heart of Twinless, as well as a broader exploration of loss and codependency.
Roman (Dylan O’Brien) is struggling to accept the tragic death of his twin brother Rocky. Rocky was always more extroverted and cultured, while Roman always suffered in comparison. His mother Lisa (Lauren Graham) is understandably concerned about him, and circumstances lead him to a twin bereavement support group. There, he meets Dennis, who has also lost a twin, and the two form an unlikely friendship while bonding over their shared trauma. Dennis reminds Roman a lot of Rocky, being educated and travelled, as well as gay. The pair begin to spend a lot of time together, filling the hole left in each other’s lives. Now, it is best to leave it here in terms of plot details, as to go on would ruin the bold narrative shift that the film takes, completely turning it on its head and occurring just before the very late opening credits. It sets the tone for the remainder of Twinless, which is just as surprising, funny, dark and moving.
Twinless benefits from a tight and razor-sharp script that perfectly balances its dramatic and comedic elements, and is also not afraid to go to unexpected places with the twists it takes. The result makes for wonderfully offbeat humour and a number of emotionally complex moments that will blur the line between crying and laughing for most viewers. The pacing is assured and confident, and there is never a dull moment as this caper gets increasingly more complicated. The film offers a unique and nuanced exploration of grief and the very human fear of being alone, so that even if you aren’t a twin, will still have an impactful resonance. O’Brien, who found fame as a teen heartthrob in the Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner films, gives the best performance of his entire career so far. Doubling as both Roman and Rocky, O’Brien seamlessly and naturally weaves between the two characters, making them feel distinct to each other and incredibly realised. The script gives him a lot to do, and for the first time, he is really able to show how much range he has as an actor. While O’Brien is a standout, it is Sweeney that audiences will be talking about. He’s a triple-threat here as actor, director and writer, and his efforts are outstanding in all departments. He has a natural on-screen presence which shines through as he and O’Brien entertainingly bounce off of each other, and also makes sure that Dennis is a likeable character, despite his morally questionable behaviour. Aisling Franciosi is also a lively presence as Dennis’s co-worker Marcie, who ends up dating Roman, and plays a pivotal role in how the conflict develops between the two friends.
Twinless is many things. It’s a drama about loneliness, a buddy comedy, a queer love story and more. There’s something to resonate with all kinds of audiences here, making it one of the most notable films of 2025 so far. It also introduces Sweeney as an exciting new talent both in front of and behind the camera, and as previously mentioned, is best going into with as little information as possible.
