NOW IN THEATERS! In Twinless, Roman (Dylan O’Brien) loses his identical twin brother, Rocky (also Dylan O’Brien). Their mother (Lauren Graham) is devastated, but it is Roman who takes the loss the hardest. After Rocky’s funeral, Roman’s grief manifests in anger and violence, leaving his mother urging him to seek help. Roman reluctantly agrees to attend a group therapy session for people who have lost their twins.
At the support group, Roman meets Dennis (James Sweeney), another young man who claims he also lost a twin. In an ironic twist, Roman is straight, Rocky was gay, Dennis is gay, and his brother was straight. The two bond quickly as they frequently go shopping together and share meals. Roman begins to rely on Dennis, calling him to hang out, shop, and spend time together as though Dennis is filling the void left by Rocky’s death.
But cracks soon appear in the story Dennis tells Roman about his brother. Dennis never had a twin at all, and Roman is none the wiser. In reality, Dennis had been following Rocky, even having a one-night stand with him. Meeting Roman just makes things worse as Dennis’ feelings for Roman extend beyond friendship.
“Roman reluctantly agrees to attend a group therapy session for people who have lost their twins.”
Walking into the theater, I didn’t expect to like this film. The trailer just made it look too weird. Well, Twinless is weird in all the right ways. It takes the tried and true plot of a single lie that gets way out of hand and gives us an original twist to the tale.
Twinless works because of James Sweeney’s very smart script. Both Roman and Dennis are two very distinct, opposing characters that work so well together. Roman is the grieving brother with a violent anger problem…and a heart of gold. Dennis, an awkward loner, is tricked into a one-night stand and becomes an obsessed lover. Not mentioned in the review is the third member of the triangle, Marcie, played brilliantly by Aisling Franciosi. Her presence is the perfect catalyst for a very bizarre ending.
Like a good episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Twinless takes us down a very uncomfortable road. It’s cringey in all the right ways. You’ll be squirming in your seats and somehow manage to find a great deal of sympathy for both Roman and Dennis. Cringe doesn’t always work. The reason it works here is that the next step and plot point are logical, and the emotional powder kegs burst for maximum devastation.
Twinless delivers a sharp take on grief, deception, and unlikely connections. Characters are pushed into situations both painful and oddly tender. By the end, the film leaves you squirming but fully invested, proving that even the strangest setups can lead to an emotionally devastating payoff.
"…I didn't expect to like this film."
