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Dylan O’Brien’s latest starrer is all about grief. Specifically, what happens when an identical twin loses his other half? Six years after his first feature,Straight Up, James Sweeney is back as the writer/director/star of a new Sundance breakout. Twinlessis an uncommonly funny, romantic, and tragic film about twinhood, parasitic relationships, and insecurity.
TwinlessSundance Review
Twinlessfeatures Dylan O’Brien in a dual role of sorts. He plays Rocky and Roman, two identical twins who couldn’t be more different. Roman, the macho man’s man, is our lead, a role O’Brien perfectly plays alongside Rocky, his softhearted homosexual mustachioed brother. After the sudden, tragic death of Rocky, Roman finds solace at a twin bereavement center. He meets Dennis (Sweeney), who has a secret connection to Roman’s late twin. After the two hit it off, they go on a journey of self-discovery as they navigate grief, romance, and platonic bonds.
The film is a knockout hit because of how painfully cringeworthy so much of it is. Sweeney’s script finds a perfect balance of humor and heart, beautifully exploring the grief of moving on with a sibling while leaving room for many brilliant jokes. Almost every joke received a rapturous laugh at the film’s Sundance premiere. It’s a lot of fun as a film and brilliantly balances different humor to constantly feel fresh.
At first, this feels like a pretty standard dramedy about two people making it through similarly tough situations. It’s funny and charming. Then, a very late title card hits, and it’s clear that there’s much more to the story than you would believe. It quickly goes from being a normal film about grief and becomes a ridiculously interesting exploration of bad people.
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O’Brien, in particular, is a notable standout from the film festival this season. Sweeney’s script leans perfectly into both his dramatic and humorous abilities. TheMaze Runnerstar has never been better, and with how solid his filmography has been in recent years, he seems to be the perfect blockbuster star turned dramatic actor. Roman’s stupidity is played up for laughs most of the time, but O’Brien reveals a softer side to a character who would otherwise be written off as one-dimensional. Roman’s frustration with the world as he navigates the death of his brother is nicely handled.
Sweeney is similarly excellent. His character is the driver of most of the laughs. Dennis is an incredibly pathetic man whose antics bring him trouble. So much of the negative karma he receives is deserved, but Sweeney has so much charm that his personality often outweighs his negative qualities.
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While O’Brien and Sweeney’s performances have been the source of lots of praise, with O’Brien even winning top honors at the festival’s end, Aisling Franciosi’s performance as the romantic interest of Roman and maligned coworker of Dennis is incredible. Her character is written with a type of warmth that female romantic leads don’t often get.
There’s a charming sequence in this where Sweeney elevates a typical party sequence and turns it into one of the most fascinating things of the year. Sweeney’s direction stands out throughout the film, often taking the ordinary and turning it into something far above the rest.
IsTwinlessworth watching?
As an identical twin myself, this was a truly special watch. I resonated with the film much more than the average non-identical twin person had. The bond between two twins goes much deeper than other sibling relationships, and the way Sweeney explores this is excellent. It was surprising to learn that Sweeney wasn’t a twin himself since he grasped the little things about twinhood with a lot of care and often leverages them to something either hilarious or upsetting.
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From top to bottom,Twinlessdelivers many laughs and has a ton of heart. Its emotional moments often have enough weight to lead to a few tears being shed, but the comedic ones stand out just as highly. It’s as funny as it is dramatic and has many more twists than the premise lets on. Out of Sundance, this has been so buzzy that it was forced to bepulled from its online programmingafter rampant piracy on X (formerly Twitter). Trust me, this deserves all the praise it’s getting.
Twinlessis screening at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 22-February 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, UT, and January 30-February 2 online.
Twinless Sundance Review — Dylan O’Brien Shines Twice Over in Funny, Heartfelt Dramedy
Cole Groth
Film/TV Critic
Articles Published :71
Hi! My name is Cole. I’m a twenty-year-old attending the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. I’ve watched one movie every day since May 2020, with my all-time favorite film being Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs (2020).
