September 17, 2025
FILM: TWINLESS
DIRECTED BY: JAMES SWEENEY
STARRING: DYLAN O’BRIEN, JAMES SWEENEY, AISLING FRANCIOSI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
During an early scene in Twinless, Roman and Dennis meet at a support group for people who have lost a twin sibling. The two men strike up a bond even though they are fairly different from each other. Roman admits to having few friends, being needy, and not particularly well-educated. He’s a bit of a jock and recently had a twin, Rocky, who passed away suddenly. He and his mother, played by Lauren Graham, are both still grieving and have significant anger issues. Dennis, on the other hand, admits to being non-confrontational and gay. Rocky was also gay which helps further develop the connection between the two men. There’s a twist in the plot which is revealed fairly early on that suggests Dennis may not be a particularly honest person who may be taking advantage of Roman’s grief. This is where the story becomes meaty.
The film explores a number of themes such as loss, lies, obsession, and whether a gay and straight man can be “just” friends. Both characters have significant holes in their lives and they clearly need each other. However, what happens when lies take over? Can such a friendship survive? Clearly, Dennis is attracted to Roman who is frequently shot without a shirt revealing a nicely toned body. Roman strikes up a relationship with Marci (Aisling Franciosi), a young receptionist at Dennis’s place of employment and of course some jealousy develops.
There’s also the question of identity. Rocky and Roman had, at various times, taken on each other’s personas to “save” each other. Are these nothing more than white lies? How far can such behavior go without hurting other people? Dennis also fabricates stories for his own benefit. At one point, he even puts on a fake British accent to hide his identity from someone (played by Abbott Elementary’s Chris Perfetti) who seems to recognize him, thus potentially putting the friendship between Dennis and Roman in danger. Like other films which explore identity (Psycho, Adaptation, etc.) there’s a heavy use of mirrors to suggest the multiple ways we might view the characters. These are not overly distracting but definitely noticeable.
I’m being pretty vague here, I know, but I think this is the type of film that works better without knowing too much in advance. That’s not to say I’m giving this a high recommendation and that you should see it. My biggest problem with the film is the character of Dennis. He’s not very likeable or sympathetic. It’s interesting that Sweeney would choose to write himself such a wounded character that digs himself further and further in various holes, both with Roman and, to a degree, at his job. Roman is the character we feel something for even if his explosive anger may go a bit too far at times. The acting by the leads, especially Dylan O’Brien, is very good. Roman goes through a pretty wide range of emotions and the actor appears pretty skilled at pulling them off.
Sweeney’s script is interesting in that he does play a bit with chronology early on making for a shift in the focus and our understanding of the events leading up to the support group scene. His direction is fairly effective, particularly in his work with O’Brien and Franciosi. He also does attempt to make the film visually appealing with some circling camera moves and a split screen following, on separate sides of the screen, Roman and Dennis as they attend a party.
In the end, I can’t say that I liked the film but it does tell a fairly compelling story that makes us wait for moments of truth to finally be revealed.
Twinless is now playing in theaters.
FILM: TWINLESS
DIRECTED BY: JAMES SWEENEY
STARRING: DYLAN O’BRIEN, JAMES SWEENEY, AISLING FRANCIOSI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
During an early scene in Twinless, Roman and Dennis meet at a support group for people who have lost a twin sibling. The two men strike up a bond even though they are fairly different from each other. Roman admits to having few friends, being needy, and not particularly well-educated. He’s a bit of a jock and recently had a twin, Rocky, who passed away suddenly. He and his mother, played by Lauren Graham, are both still grieving and have significant anger issues. Dennis, on the other hand, admits to being non-confrontational and gay. Rocky was also gay which helps further develop the connection between the two men. There’s a twist in the plot which is revealed fairly early on that suggests Dennis may not be a particularly honest person who may be taking advantage of Roman’s grief. This is where the story becomes meaty.
The film explores a number of themes such as loss, lies, obsession, and whether a gay and straight man can be “just” friends. Both characters have significant holes in their lives and they clearly need each other. However, what happens when lies take over? Can such a friendship survive? Clearly, Dennis is attracted to Roman who is frequently shot without a shirt revealing a nicely toned body. Roman strikes up a relationship with Marci (Aisling Franciosi), a young receptionist at Dennis’s place of employment and of course some jealousy develops.
There’s also the question of identity. Rocky and Roman had, at various times, taken on each other’s personas to “save” each other. Are these nothing more than white lies? How far can such behavior go without hurting other people? Dennis also fabricates stories for his own benefit. At one point, he even puts on a fake British accent to hide his identity from someone (played by Abbott Elementary’s Chris Perfetti) who seems to recognize him, thus potentially putting the friendship between Dennis and Roman in danger. Like other films which explore identity (Psycho, Adaptation, etc.) there’s a heavy use of mirrors to suggest the multiple ways we might view the characters. These are not overly distracting but definitely noticeable.
I’m being pretty vague here, I know, but I think this is the type of film that works better without knowing too much in advance. That’s not to say I’m giving this a high recommendation and that you should see it. My biggest problem with the film is the character of Dennis. He’s not very likeable or sympathetic. It’s interesting that Sweeney would choose to write himself such a wounded character that digs himself further and further in various holes, both with Roman and, to a degree, at his job. Roman is the character we feel something for even if his explosive anger may go a bit too far at times. The acting by the leads, especially Dylan O’Brien, is very good. Roman goes through a pretty wide range of emotions and the actor appears pretty skilled at pulling them off.
Sweeney’s script is interesting in that he does play a bit with chronology early on making for a shift in the focus and our understanding of the events leading up to the support group scene. His direction is fairly effective, particularly in his work with O’Brien and Franciosi. He also does attempt to make the film visually appealing with some circling camera moves and a split screen following, on separate sides of the screen, Roman and Dennis as they attend a party.
In the end, I can’t say that I liked the film but it does tell a fairly compelling story that makes us wait for moments of truth to finally be revealed.
Twinless is now playing in theaters.