‘Twinless’ is a Beautifully Strange Story of Grief
The film Twinless discusses the tragedy of losing a twin. For most of us, it’s not a common experience we might face. The feeling is mostly shared within a specific group. However, the film by James Sweeney suggests that the sense of losing connection is universal. Especially in grief, where losing a loved one can make it feel like a part of oneself has also died.
Twinless, which premiered at Sundance, explores loneliness and disconnection through two deeply flawed characters. It skillfully creates unlikable personas while keeping the audience invested in their stories. One character is almost unforgivable, yet the film manages to make them sympathetic. Sweeney’s screenplay manages the balance impressively for his latest directorial effort.
What is James Sweeney’s Twinless about?
The story begins with Roman (played by Dylan O’Brien), a man mourning the recent loss of his twin brother Rocky. Similar to the movie Sinners, O’Brien seamlessly portrays both characters, making their personalities distinctly different. In this film, one of the personas appears much less often. Most of the story focuses on Roman, the surviving twin, who is poorly educated and full of anger. Subtle hints in the dialogue suggest that Roman and Rocky used to argue over who was “the good twin.” Roman claims it was Rocky because their mother liked him more. The narrative features a story about a memory Rocky shares, which he believes is the foundation of his brother being “the good one.”
Rocky, the twin brother, was part of the LGBTQ+ community before his unfortunate passing. Roman finds a connection with another gay man while attending a support group for grieving twins. The man, Dennis (played by James Sweeney himself), explains that he is grieving similarly, having lost a twin a year earlier. However, as we learn more about Dennis, some details begin to seem strange. There appears to be more beneath the surface with Dennis. Nevertheless, Dennis and Roman find comfort as new best friends, trying to fill the emptiness in their hearts.
A bizarre story about emptiness
The past few years have shown a unique trend involving character work centered on obsessive friends. Saltburn, for example, reintroduced the familiar Thomas Ripley archetype — a character who tries to immerse himself in someone else’s life because he longs to be them or be with them. This year’s film, Lurker, took a similar approach with a character obsessed over a musical talent. Surprisingly, Twinless follows a similar structure. Without revealing too much, one character struggles with an empty insecurity that leads them to lie constantly to maintain their relationships.
It’s one of those stories where someone keeps deceiving others, so viewers are left wondering how the character will resolve their lies. It becomes gripping as the deception starts to avalanche around them. The main difference is that the deceitful character in Twinless is more sympathetic than those in Saltburn and Lurker. This is largely due to the theme of grief that surrounds the story. In Saltburn, Barry Keoghan played a deceptively creepy role. In Twinless, the character is simply trying to fill a space in their heart.
Cinematography also emphasizes the theme of isolation. Greg Cotten uses a framing style that feels emotionally distant. In one shot, Roman is speaking to an old friend of his late brother, who is unaware that Rocky has died. Roman doesn’t have the heart to break the news, so he pretends to be his brother. She is talking through a glass door, while Roman is on the other side. The film’s visual language carries this motif throughout. Both characters act like islands despite their bond, and the camerawork beautifully shows their longing for connection.
The performances of James Sweeney and Dylan O’Brien anchor Twinless
What makes Twinless work is the strange bond between Roman and Dennis. They have almost nothing in common. Dennis is gay; Roman is an openly straight man. Dennis is quiet, intelligent, and reserved; Roman is less intelligent and sometimes overly open. Yet, their opposite personalities fill a void that each desperately needs.
Both actors deliver outstanding performances, with Sweeney giving perhaps his best work. He portrays Dennis with a level of patheticness that gradually becomes sympathetic. The role demands Sweeney to play someone weak and borderline manipulative. It’s a challenging task when playing an unlikable character.
Dylan O’Brien also demonstrates incredible range here. He has the difficult job of embodying twins while also giving Roman a subtle edge of male toxicity. O’Brien’s performance suggests he’s expanding his range with each film. It’s their chemistry and performances that tie Twinless together in a strange, beautiful way. Dennis and Roman are polar opposites but deeply flawed in their own tragic grief. On paper, they shouldn’t work as friends, but perhaps they are each other’s twin through tragedy.
Overall, Twinless is one of the strangest films about finding connection through grief, and it succeeds as a strong performance piece. Some thematic elements, like the idea that death feels like losing a piece of oneself, could have made a stronger impact. That theme took a backseat, overshadowed by the secondary plot about deception. This might have limited the emotional core of the story. Still, Twinless works because Sweeney and O’Brien deliver some of their best acting. It’s their chemistry that keeps viewers invested until the very end.
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