Twinless Review:In James Sweeney’s poignant and insane comedy, Dylan O’Brien laments his deceased twin – Sundance Film Festival
James Sweeney, writer, director, and actor, explores loneliness, anxiety, depression, and other typical millennial activities in his second film in an equally humorous and poignant arc. including a few “WTF” moments.
Dylan O’Brien plays Roman in Twinless, a young man who is mourning the death of his twin brother Rocky. He meets Dennis (Sweeney) at a twin bereavement support group, who is also dealing with his own loss. As they recover from their shared trauma, the two develop a bromance while missing their respective other halves, but their newfound friendship is threatened by an odd secret.
There is no denying the comedic chemistry between O’Brien and Sweeney. The former alternates between the emotionally unstable and unsophisticated Roman and his muscular, mustachioed, attractive twin Rocky, who frequently encounters “mean gays” who are equally misinterpreted as the latter.
After moving into Rocky’s apartment and adjusting to life as a “singleton,” Roman starts to interact with people who knew his deceased twin. Around him, strangers start crying, which is a strange experience for him.
Dennis, on the other hand, is what the LGBTQ community might charmingly (or not) categorize as a messy gay, but his new friend provides the criticism-free friendship that they both require. In situations that are truly incomprehensible, he works through complicated emotions in a “yes, and” manner that leads to obsessive lies and lots of laughter.
The brief jokes provide a much-needed break from the suffering that lies beneath the silly, ungainly exteriors that both characters gradually reveal throughout the movie.
Dennis feels guilty about his final words to his partner, “Fuck you!” while Roman grapples with the strained relationship he had with Rocky due to his sexual orientation. In a way that no twin could, they support one another as they cope with their losses.
The most complex situations involving the universal feelings of rejection, losing a loved one, and feeling as though your other half doesn’t exist are unraveled by Sweeney, a gifted multihyphenate. Will their friendship work out even though their reasons for looking for companionship ultimately diverge, with one having less-than-honest intentions? visit DEADLINE for more