I walked into the movie theater to see “Twinless” completely blind. In a world where marketing is shoved upon you, it felt rare to stumble upon a movie that I hadn’t seen a single trailer for. But with “Twinless,” I wouldn’t have wanted to watch it any other way.
Before continuing this article, I recommend stopping here and watching “Twinless” just as I did: without any prior knowledge. It was what really made it so, so good.
“Twinless” cannot fit into a single genre or style. It’s fresh, uncomfortable at times and incredibly genuine. At its core, it is a story of loss that tackles the concept of sibling connection.
Roman (Dylan O’Brien) is trying to cope with the death of his twin, Rocky (also O’Brien), who died in a car accident. At a twin loss support group, he meets Dennis (James Sweeney), and the two quickly form an intense co-dependent friendship in the absence of their twins.
Thirty minutes into the film, after a late title screen rolls, the viewers learn that Dennis is, in fact, not a twin, but rather was romantically involved and obsessed with Rocky, accidentally causing the car accident that killed him. To deal with his grief and guilt, Dennis stalks and befriends Roman without revealing this information.
“Twinless” quickly takes a turn for the twisted. As an audience member, it’s incredibly anxiety-inducing and stressful to watch Dennis fall further into this lie as he shares more heartfelt moments with Roman.
At the movie’s climax, Dennis’ anxiety feels as if it bleeds into the cinematography, which it likely does, since Sweeney is also the writer and director of the film.
However, the movie isn’t purely stressful; it’s also laugh-out-loud hilarious. O’Brien seamlessly masters two very different characters: straight, gullible, macho-boy Roman and sarcastic, witty, homosexual Rocky. But while I found myself laughing more at “Twinless” than most movies in the past few years, it wasn’t a straight comedy either.
The writing and connection between Dennis and Roman is formed so perfectly that it encapsulates a sibling bond. It is beautiful and devastating to see this relationship build out of loss and then crumble when Roman realizes their shared trauma wasn’t real.
“Twinless” ends with Roman and Dennis reuniting at a diner, the first place they went together. It is a beautiful parallel to the beginning of the movie that showcases the characters’ growth — especially as it highlights Roman’s journey through grief and managing the anger he’s channeled toward Dennis since discovering the truth.
The scene was raw as the two realized that the connection and friendship they shared was not and could not have been made up. Despite the messed-up circumstances, the friendship between Dennis and Roman was real, and in that final moment, as they ask for a to-go box simultaneously like twins, they know that they will always be linked.
The relationships in “Twinless” explore a dynamic rarely seen on screen: twin brothers, one gay and the other straight. The film examines masculinity and the complexities of growing up as twins with different sexualities.
Roman, in particular, struggled with anger and insecurity after Rocky came out, questioning his own masculinity in the process. Through his connection with Dennis, however, Roman seems to have a shot at redemption, an opportunity to rebuild the bond with a twin that he never managed to sustain in adulthood.
“Twinless” is a jarring reminder that even in the midst of loss and lies, the bonds we form, however imperfect or twisted, can still be profoundly real.
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