‘Twinless’: Sundance Review

Dir: James Sweeney. US. 2025. 100 minutes.

Roman (Dylan O’Brien) is newly twinless. An offscreen screech of tyres hints at what occurred to his an identical brother Rocky (additionally performed by O’Brien once we be taught extra about him in flashback). The pacy set-up from author/director James Sweeney then whisks us straight to Rocky’s graveside the place the surrealness of Roman wanting similar to his lifeless brother from the mourners’ views is performed for laughs. Views rely in Sweeney’s movie as their slippery nature permits him to shock us early on in a approach which might be a disgrace to disclose however which transports what initially appears to be like like an odd couple bromance into significantly darker psychological terrain.

Juggles the sweeter moments and darkish humour with well-observed concerns of grief and loneliness

Sweeney, whose comedy debut Straight Up acquired a greatest first screenplay nomination on the 2021 Impartial Spirit awards, juggles the sweeter moments and darkish humour with well-observed concerns of grief and loneliness. That ought to assist Twinless appeal to world audiences after its premiere in Sundance’s US Dramatic Competitors, with millennials significantly prone to be gained over by effectively labored jokes targeted on The Sims and the Olsen Twins.

Grief has left the introverted Roman with a brief fuse, and an argument along with his mom (Lauren Graham) prompts him to attend a bereavement group. There he meets Dennis (James Sweeney), who reveals he has additionally just lately misplaced his twin. They don’t appear a possible match, provided that Roman is a pleasant however dim jock kind, whereas Dennis is homosexual, like Roman’s brother, and so sharp-witted it’s a marvel he doesn’t minimize himself. Nonetheless they bond over sandwiches and grocery procuring, which is when Sweeney – as a scriptwriter and director – begins to indicate his hand as a grasp manipulator.

Having watched occasions from Roman’s perspective, we at the moment are given a take a look at them from Dennis’ standpoint, revealing that every one might not be fairly because it first appeared. From this level on, we all know issues that Roman doesn’t, which supplies the outwardly jaunty humour a disturbing context.

O’Brien brings a soulful purity to Roman, discovering a pleasant distinction between this portrayal and the embodiment of the mustachioed, self-confident and flirtatious Rocky, however he additionally permits Roman’s anger and grief to blossom unpredictably when it counts. Sweeney, in the meantime, has enjoyable with the extra advanced and quick-talking Dennis. His friendship with Roman is a shiny spot in his in any other case miserable existence, at the same time as developments go away him more and more conflicted.

Irish actor Aisling Franciosi – who was one among Display screen’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2014 – additionally places in memorable assist as Dennis’ completely peppy co-worker, who begins to take a shine to Roman. We quickly come to be taught she has much more going for her than Dennis suggests, as two appears to be like like firm and three’s a crowd.

Sweeney is sweet on the minimize and thrust of dialogue and he doesn’t simply play it straight as director both. He takes the concept of twinning to coronary heart, utilizing a cut up display on a number of events to be able to present two factors of view concurrently. This helps him to marry moments of sincerity to comedy or to lace a humorous stretch of dialogue with one thing extra poignant courtesy of a response shot. Lyrical string-underpinned scoring from Jung Jae-Il provides an additional grown-up contact.

It’s not simply the construction of the movie that’s intelligent, Sweeney varies his joke supply, so that there’s a mixture of one-liners and extra slow-burn humour alongside a raft of sight gags, together with some ridiculous enterprise involving twin mouthfuls of marshmallows. His capacity to shock means you’re by no means fairly positive whether or not you’re going to be hit with a punchline or a sucker-punch emotional beat or, generally, the dual assault of each concurrently. He could also be artful with comedy however he additionally ensures we care about what makes his characters tick.