‘Twinless’ Review: Secret-Keeping Drama Walks Compelling Path
Twinless portrays the evolving friendship of two men coping with twin sibling loss, blending humor and grief in a story praised for its emotional depth and strong performances.
- Following its Sundance debut, Twinless arrives in select theaters on Friday, September 5, 2025; it was written and directed by James Sweeney, who also co-stars.
- The film explores how two men cope after twin loss, following Roman and Dennis meeting in a bereavement support group in Portland, Oregon, centering on grief and losing twin siblings.
- Critics praised the lead and supporting performances, noting Dylan O'Brien received a Special Jury prize at Sundance earlier this year, Aisling Franciosi's MVP turn as Marcie, and Lauren Graham's strong supporting role.
- Complications surface when Roman dates Dennis's coworker Marcie, introducing tension as the film swings between joy and apprehension but ultimately lands about right.
- Sweeney's approach layers genres to examine grief and trust, using formal techniques in Twinless to probe grief, obsession, betrayal and soul connection, marking it as a notable awards season contender.
13 Articles
13 Articles
‘Twinless:’ Secret-keeping drama walks compelling path
We’ve put off writing about “Twinless” for as long as possible. We’ve dreaded this task not because the film isn’t worth writing about; on the contrary, the sophomore effort from writer-director-producer James Sweeney, who stars in the drama alongside Dylan O’Brien, is a largely engrossing and thought-provoking affair. Arriving in theaters months after its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Twinless” is, on its surface, about the bond…
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Dylan O'Brien on playing identical twins in new film 'Twinless'
Dylan O’Brien and James Sweeney in ‘Twinless.’ (Lionsgate) Dylan O’Brien plays identical twin brothers in Twinless. The new film, which arrives in theaters on Friday, was written and directed by James Sweeney, who also co-stars. O’Brien told ABC Audio the idea of playing identical twins wasn’t something he would have been drawn to if it wasn’t for Sweeney’s script. It was “a concept that I was really emotionally struck by, telling the story of s…
Twinless Review: Dylan O’Brien Doubles Up in Unpredictable, Dark Comedy
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Sundance coverage. Twinless opens in theaters on September 5, 2025. Twinless starts like a prototypical Sundance movie––grim and serious, plus unexpected levity. That’s the general formula for a festival that might as well have manufactured the term “dramedy.” In this case there’s an offscreen car accident and quick cut to a funeral. Roman (Dylan O’Brien) stands grieving beside his …
Movie reviews: TWINLESS, LURKER, THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
I could toss out thematic buzzwords like "it's about loneliness and connection," and it's not even that those words don't apply—it's just that writer/director James Sweeney's movie is so gotdam fun that I hesitate to muddy the waters. Twinless I could toss out thematic buzzwords like "it's about loneliness and connection," and it's not even that those words don't apply—it's just that writer/director James Sweeney's movie is so gotdam fun that…
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