Movie Review: Twinless

Whether it’s true or not, it is a commonly held belief that twins have a special bond that makes them closer with each other than most other people will ever get with anyone. Filmmaker James Sweeney uses that notion as the jumping off point for his bold and unpredictable film Twinless.

Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (Sweeney) meet at a support group for people grieving the death of their twins and quickly become friends, perhaps because of their shared tragedies or perhaps because of something more. Stereotypically straight, sweet, and slightly dim Roman never had a lot of friends, always relying on his outgoing queer brother Rocky to fill the role, and is glad to finally have done so. Aloof, awkward, fiercely intelligent, and also gay, Dennis does appear to be happy with their new friendship as well, but also seems to want more, clearly developing deeper feelings for Roman than will likely ever be reciprocated.

To say anything more would be to ruin the experience of this film, which goes to some very unexpected places as it uses elements of dark comedy, Hitchcockian suspense, and relationship drama to create a genuinely funny and moving meditation on loneliness and obsession. The entire cast give great performances, but O’Brien really stands out, playing both Rocky and Roman so flawlessly as to make one forget it’s the same actor.

Backed by a striking score from Jung Jae-il (Parasite, Squid Game), Sweeney adeptly blends acerbic humor with genuine pathos to fully immerse viewers into his story. Smart deployment of surreal imagery and unpredictable plot developments only heighten the emotion and help make the movie truly stand out. Frequently surprising, smartly written, and deeply affecting, this is top-tier filmmaking unlike anything else I’ve seen this year. ★★★★½