Twinless (dir. James Sweeney)

By: Adam Freed

There is nothing funny about the death of a sibling.  Unless writer, director, producer and star, James Sweeney has something to say about it.  Sweeney’s outrageous dark comedy Twinless takes the conventions of grief and traditional bereavement and turns them completely on their head.  There can’t be a tighter bond experienced than between that of identical twins.  When Roman, played by Dylan O’Brien (Saturday Night, The Maze Runner) is left as the sole surviving twin after the passing of his brother Rocky (also O’Brien), what remains is a window into the soul-crushing bereavement process that results in one of the best dark comedies in years.  At the behest of his overly taxed mother Lisa, Roman enrolls in a support group that specializes in the death of a twin.  Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa) bestows upon her character Lisa the neuroticism of a mother desperately grasping to keep her life together.  At his first support group meeting, Roman meets Dennis (James Sweeney), a fellow survivor mourning the death of his brother Dean.  As the conventions of storytelling begin to take shape it becomes abundantly clear that Twinless is a comedy unlike anything audiences have ever experienced, and certainly not what they expect.

Dylan O’Brien serves double duty in the film as he captures the dim-witted, but lovable Roman as well as, in flashback, Rocky his flamboyant and worldly brother, whose physical appearance to Roman seems to be just about all the duo share in common.  O’Brien is forced into another form of duality within his performance as the film’s dramatic heartache and comedic drum beat are both at his command.  Harnessing the ability to cultivate the tears of an audience in addition to uproarious laughter within the same film is a monumental task, one that the gifted O’Brien seemingly tackles with ease. The bravery in Sweeney’s film is that it playfully stares into the eyes of darkness and laughs, even uncomfortably so. James Sweeney has given the world permission to laugh at heartbreak as if that is the only viable option.  Twinless is a film about death, relationships and a deep longing for personal connection.  James Sweeney’s script avoids self reverential, winking humor, in favor of something that is far more natural and abundant.  The final result is that Twinless is a mysterious buddy comedy, dripping in an absurd form of reality.  It is funny because it is brave, but also because it shows the world exactly how to make the very best out of a horrific situation.    

Target Score 8.5/10 - Twinless is a dark buddy comedy about two men grieving the loss of their identical twin brothers.  Lifted by a noteworthy performance by gifted actor Dylan O’Brien, he and Sweeny shine through the dense fog of sadness manifested by the film’s proceedings.  Steeped in mystery and uproarious laughter, writer and director James Sweeney has crafted a brave film that is not to be missed. 

Twinless is included in Movie Archer's coverage of the 2025 Chicago Critics Film Festival.