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| Dylan O'Brien as ROMAN; JAMES SWEENEY AS DENNIS in TWINLESS |
The theme of obsessive male friendships continues to loom large in the year 2025. Continuing a conversation that Andrew DeYoung's FRIENDSHIP and Alex Russell's LURKER started, James Sweeney directs and co-stars in TWINLESS, a dark comedy about two men meet in a support group for survivors who have lost a twin.
Roman (Dylan O'Brien) tries to move forward after his twin brother Rocky dies. Even though we learn that they haven't spoken in awhile, he struggles to do the most basic things alone. He meets Dennis (James Sweeney) at a grief support group, and the two seem to hit it off immediately. Roman appreciates that Dennis understands his pain and also feels connected by the fact that Dennis is gay, just like Rocky. The pair gets closer and become intertwined in each other's lives, but once Roman begins to date Marcie (an upbeat Aisling Franciosi), Dennis feels abandoned and struggles to keep his affection for Roman strictly platonic. What starts as a sweet but somewhat bland meet-cute friendship story quickly becomes something more raw, real, and slightly twisted.
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| Dylan O'Brien as ROMAN; JAMES SWEENEY AS DENNIS in TWINLESS |
Viewers should enter into TWINLESS as blind as possible and avoid reading review or spoilers. The story begins in Roman's perspective and then stops, reverses, and begins again through the eyes of Dennis, causing us to question all that has come so far. My emotional journey throughout the film see-sawed from curious to sad to shocked and then sad again. The characters don't always operate in ways that benefit them, but Sweeney, who also wrote the screenplay, helps us to empathize with them. The term "male loneliness epidemic" gets thrown around a lot, but Sweeney's screenplay brings this to life. Roman admits he's too needy: "I wanna hang out all the time." He's most comfortable sharing emotions when it's anger, feeling relief when he can beat up a homophobe in the parking lot.
In one of his best scenes, Dennis encourages Roman to talk to him as if he's Rocky. Dylan O'Brien begins this monologue quietly and with non-confrontational language. His mouth barely moves. As he continues speaking, he becomes more animated. You get the feeling he has bottled up his emotions so well, he's been unaware of his hurt and pain until now. On the other hand, Dennis seems more in tune with what he wants and feels, but he keeps most of that a closely guarded secret. Both of them are hiding things, whether it's from themselves or from others. This hiding compounds only loneliness because even when you are with someone, you are only partially yourself.
Dylan O'Brien deserves double the accolades for playing dual roles. We meet the deceased Rocky in flashbacks, and O'Brien does excellent work and excels at embodying an alternate persona. Rocky walks, talks, dresses, and acts like a different species than Roman. Although his appearance as Rocky is brief, a role like this really showcases O'Brien's range. While O'Brien gives the better performance, Dennis is the more interesting character, who has found survival mechanisms that work for him – at least until they don't.
In one of his best scenes, Dennis encourages Roman to talk to him as if he's Rocky. Dylan O'Brien begins this monologue quietly and with non-confrontational language. His mouth barely moves. As he continues speaking, he becomes more animated. You get the feeling he has bottled up his emotions so well, he's been unaware of his hurt and pain until now. On the other hand, Dennis seems more in tune with what he wants and feels, but he keeps most of that a closely guarded secret. Both of them are hiding things, whether it's from themselves or from others. This hiding compounds only loneliness because even when you are with someone, you are only partially yourself.
Dylan O'Brien deserves double the accolades for playing dual roles. We meet the deceased Rocky in flashbacks, and O'Brien does excellent work and excels at embodying an alternate persona. Rocky walks, talks, dresses, and acts like a different species than Roman. Although his appearance as Rocky is brief, a role like this really showcases O'Brien's range. While O'Brien gives the better performance, Dennis is the more interesting character, who has found survival mechanisms that work for him – at least until they don't.
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| Dylan O'Brien as ROMAN; JAMES SWEENEY AS DENNIS in TWINLESS |
Like in his first film STRAIGHT UP, James Sweeney shows a knack for framing shots worthy of a graphic designer. An entire essay could be written about the shirts that Dennis wears, with their gradient block of color reminiscent of an interior designer's color swatches. Perhaps these spectrums of colors represent the different aspects of Dennis' spirit, only part of which he feels he can share with Roman or anyone in the world.
Sweeney crafts a clever screenplay worth consideration. He uses parallelism by repeating an image at different parts of the movie, creating echoes that only the astute will recognize. Twice during the movie, a couple joined in a romantic embrace share confessions under a bed sheet. And English majors will enjoy other literary devices like the way Dennis answers a question with a question as an evasion strategy – something we weren't aware of until it's pointed out. Then you go back and realize he has been doing that the entire time.
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| James Sweeney as DENNIS; Dylan O'Brien as ROMAN in TWINLESS |
Sweeney also includes one of my favorite storytelling tricks – when a character makes a statement that embodies their entire personality. When they say it, you realize this is how they get through life and justify their existence. Dennis and Roman go on a double date and the four people play two truths and a lie. Dennis fools everyone. As they marvel at his aptitude for lying he says, "The trick is to say something that's emotionally true but factually false." Clever moments like this made watching the events play out, event though it was clear things were doomed to go terribly wrong.
TWINLESS offers a painfully honest look at the risks of male friendship. It can provide balm but become toxic when deception exists, leaving both parties feel betrayed. For me personally, it offered a different meaning. As a single person, I have spent a lot of time being a third wheel or not being chosen by the person you choose. Watching Sweeney go through the highs and lows of meeting Roman, being his +1, and then losing that privilege felt all too real. Sweeney's second film may be too real for some to find it enjoyable, but the emotions and characters feel authentic and made with care.
Release info: In limited theaters September 5, 2025
Final score: 4 out of 5
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