TWINLESS (2025) review
written by: James Sweeney
produced by: James Sweeney and David Permut
directed by: James Sweeney
rated: R (for sexual content/nudity and language)
runtime: 100 min.
U.S. release date: September 5, 2025
When I caught “Twinless” at a packed screening at the Music Box Theatre for the Chicago Critics Film Festival back in May, I had no idea what to expect, and I certainly didn’t anticipate that the film would be one of my favorites of the year. All I knew was that it premiered earlier this year at Sundance, and it won the Audience Award. To my delight, writer/director James Sweeney, who also co-headlines with Dylan O’Brien, has crafted a dark comedy that brims with confidence, one that explores grief, manipulation, and obsession in uncomfortable yet humorous ways, while deftly navigating some tricky tonal risks.
It’s about two men who meet in an unlikely place and gradually form an unexpected connection. It’s a troubling and hilarious story that could’ve easily fallen into cliches. However, it’s saved by clever writing and superb performances, offering one of the most original and refreshing viewing experiences of the year.
Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney) meet in a Portland, Oregon, support group for twinless twins. It’s a specific sort of therapy offered for anyone who once had a twin sibling and has since died. Roman’s brother, Rocky (also played by O’Brien), was recently killed by a vehicle while crossing a Portland street. This has created a gaping hole in Roman’s life, since the flamboyantly gay and charming Rocky really balanced him out. He was a good brother who really understood Roman, who finds himself combative with his mother, Lisa (Lauren Graham), as he struggles to cope with this sudden loss.
Dennis has also lost a sibling, Dean, and is looking to figure out what to do with the pain of his loss. He’s a twink with a droll, deadpan humor who winds up focusing on Roman, learning more about Rocky, while developing an attraction as their friendship blossoms. Roman responds to Dennis’s attention (not necessarily his attraction) and the two grieving strangers soon become a significant part of each other’s lives, providing a needed source of connection during such hard times. Their time together increases, from grocery shopping to late-night conversations, and even a road trip to a Krakens game in Seattle that ends with an encounter with homophobic idiots. The two clearly fill the void left by the sibling they lost. However, Roman is unaware that Dennis’s private life has a greater connection to his life than he could ever imagine.
Sweeney kicks off “Twinless” with a cold open that dives right in, offering the audience introductions and information while setting the tone for the film’s humor. It takes about 20 minutes for the title to appear on the screen, and before that, we see Roman and his mother attending his brother’s funeral. The atmosphere is unusually uncomfortable, with guests acting awkwardly around the young man and his mother. It becomes quickly apparent that Roman is straight as an arrow and sort of a blunt instrument. He’s also not the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor does he have a handle on his anger issues. Still, he has an identifiable endearing quality about him, and maybe that’s one of the attributes Dennis is swooned by. His attraction could also be a welcome distraction from his feelings of guilt regarding Dean’s death.
Despite their differences, a connection nevertheless develops between Roman and Dennis, and from that a level of intimacy that’s uncanny. Sweeney’s screenplay presents this realistically, albeit with sharp wit and humor that’s cathartic for the two grieving characters. In doing so, Sweeney delivers a solid amount of genuine laughs, from the mismatched energy of its co-leads to the snappy dialogue, especially apparent during the scenes where Dennis and Roman interact with each other on entirely different wavelengths. Dennis is sly and sarcastic, and Sweeney delivers every line with an internal knowingness that is conveyed naturally. By contrast, Roman is sincere and guileless. His anger flares when he feels like the butt of the joke, but most of the best ones go over his head, like when Dennis asks if he’s from Moscow, Idaho, Roman blankly responds, “You know another one?”
Still, both characters benefit from their friendship in different ways. For Roman, learning how to express himself becomes a new experience that’s obviously needed in his life, while Dennis feels a growing sense of hope as the time they spend together increases. The result is a surprising amount of tenderness, which is refreshing, subverting any expectations we have that “Twinless” will be your average meet-cute rom-com.
Sweeney also offers enough solo time with each of the two leads, creating fully realized worlds that establish their individuality and provide an understanding of their motivations. We learn that Dennis works at an advertising firm as a graphic artist, where he works for a peculiar boss, Sage (Susan Park), and often confides in Marcie (Aisling Franciosi, wonderful as always), a perky receptionist with a keen memory. Dennis initially dismisses Marcie as a throwaway NPC character, but she ultimately proves to have more emotional authenticity than the two of them combined.
Sweeney makes Dennis the more interesting of the two, but that doesn’t mean O’Brien doesn’t bring it…in fact, this is probably the actor’s best work to date. As Roman, O’Brien displays an infectious charm, showing a fondness for “The Sims” video game, and a cluelessness when it comes to Dennis’s romantic infatuation with him, something that’s obvious to everyone but Roman. Sweeney pulls some sophisticated work out of O’Brien (who deftly portrays two very different twins), while also delivering a heartsick turn as Dennis, who becomes the onion the screenplay can’t stop peeling.
What’s most impressive about “Twinless” is how Sweeney gradually incorporates an uncomfortable element into the story, bringing a squirmy revelation that’s a delight to behold. It’s an awkward layer to the friendship that Dennis has developed with Roman, displaying the character’s sociopathic tendencies. As the story unfolds, there’s so much more going on in “Twinless” than any viewer expected. I can’t stress enough how important it is to know nothing going into it.
“Twinless” becomes a riveting watch, thanks to its compelling developments and our deep investment in these flawed, human characters. It’s hard to look away from some of the cringe-humor and from some of the events that are almost panic-inducing, and that’s a rare viewing experience. With this sophomore effort, Sweeney displays an impressive command of all the challenging elements, all of which could easily have derailed in anyone else’s hands. With its genuine laughs and dramatic reveals, “Twinless” proves to be an engaging and deeply felt film, easily one of the year’s best.
RATING: ****
