Skip to Content
Celebrating Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ Communities
REVIEW: Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney Bond Over Sudden Loss in Sundance Hit 'Twinless'

REVIEW: Dylan O’Brien and James Sweeney Bond Over Sudden Loss in Sundance Hit ‘Twinless’

Sweeney also directs O’Brien in a powerful performance as a man who loses his twin brother and doesn’t know the secrets cultivating his newfound friendship…

A bonkers premise with a career-best performance from Dylan O’Brien set the scene in writer/director James Sweeney’s newest hit film, Twinless. After a stellar premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month, the movie was originally slotted to become available to virtual audiences on Sundance’s app, but Sundance removed the title after folks abused the system and leaked sex scenes involving O’Brien and Sweeney’s characters.

Yes, they are that hot, but the scenes speak more about character development rather than something salacious that’s pleasing to the eye.

Twinless stars Dylan O’Brien as Roman, a straight man who just lost his identical twin brother Rocky to a crazy car accident. The film opens at Rocky’s funeral, where Roman and his mother (Lauren Graham) mourn Rocky’s passing while a sea of onlookers join them. Later, at a support group for people who have lost a twin sibling, Roman meets the equally disarrayed Dennis (James Sweeney), a gay man depressed over losing his own twin brother as they grieve in a sensitive environment.

Sure enough, Roman and Dennis immediately become codependent and lean on one another to not be alone. They schedule grocery shopping trips together, meet for coffee, and have one-on-one platonic dates that turn into therapy sessions where each recounts their individual twins’ lives, personalities, and untimely deaths. But there’s something in the air that is difficult to put one’s finger on as the two men bond in significant ways to become fast best friends.

It isn’t long before the audience is let in on a little secret: Dennis didn’t actually have a twin brother who died. In fact, he dated Roman’s brother Rocky (also portrayed by O’Brien in a dual role) and was witness to Rocky’s gruesome death. Holding onto this secret, Dennis goes into full Tom Ripley mode and gains Roman’s confidence, sets his new friend up with a beautiful coworker, Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), and continues the charade in hopes of getting closer to the only person who makes him feel like Rocky is still in his life.

Twinless is a tonal delight that lets its audience play detective from the get-go. It seemingly deceives the viewer and Roman in a spectacular fashion that lets Sweeney play with time and camera movements in unique ways. Using split screens and flashbacks to provide context to an intimate yet non-sexual premise that goes off the rails in humanistic manners is no easy feat, but Sweeney is talented enough to keep the premise believable even when Marcie and others are catching up to Dennis’s shenanigans.

Dylan O’Brien is the true all-star in this film. He is known for taking risks in mainstream fare like the Maze Runner franchise while transforming his indie cred with supporting performances in the intersex crime drama Ponyboi. Here, O’Brien plays up the gay twin character in a remarkable backstory that gives Rocky some humanity, simultaneously taking on the much more guarded and somber Roman who simply needs a friend to count on in his time of need. Just as Roman’s world is starting to get back to a sense of normalcy, the house of cards that Dennis builds begins to falter, giving way to a climax that feels enveloped and all too real.

There are reasons why some folks on social media were desperate to get a glimpse into O’Brien’s sex scenes, but without context into the characters involved, those scenes would seem humorous and out of place. This created a copyright infringement problem for Sundance, which made it difficult for them to keep the film available to critics and industry professionals to screen during their online viewing window. Thankfully, the film took home the festival’s Audience Award after it premiered in Park City, a much-deserved honor for Sweeney and his talented cast.

Twinless can, at times, be a comical look at a depressing subject like losing a loved one. But in its twisted tale of jealousy and longing, the film evolves into an engrossing and striking story that leaves an impression once the credits begin to roll. Sweeney’s eye for detail most certainly will give the young director more work in the future, while O’Brien is surely kicking off the 2025 awards season early with two roles that might define his filmography for years to come.

Related Articles

February 11, 2025 / Entertainment Latest

Queer Film ‘On Swift Horses’ Sets Spring 2025 Release Date

On Swift Horses, starring Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones, will finally hit select theatres across North American on April 25

February 9, 2025 / Entertainment Flashback Latest

FLASHBACK: The First Gay Sitcom Character Appears On TV, Archie’s Pal On All In The Family (February 9, 1971)

Today in 2SLGBTQI+ history

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 Episode 6 RECAP: Let’s Get Sea Sickening Ball

The remaining queens make runway looks from sea trash in another sewing challenge. Actress and model Hunter Schaffer and stylist Law Roach are guest judges

POST A COMMENT

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *