As in the also-recent and highly loved (by audiences, if not critics) Eleanor the Great, the dark psychological dramedy Twinless (now available to stream) has a lot to do with something that happens (and shouldn’t) in a grief support group.
The Rotten Tomatoes summary: “In Twinless, two young men meet in a twin support group and form an unlikely friendship. Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney) both search for solace and an identity without their other halves and soon become inseparable outside the group. But when Roman meets Dennis’ ebullient co-worker, Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), all is revealed to be not what it seems, as each man harbors secrets that could unravel everything.”
James Sweeney, who gives an excellent portrayal of gay character Dennis—an intellectual, snarky, needy misfit—is also the writer/director. (In his quirky 2019 film, Straight Up, Sweeney played a young man with OCD who’s questioning, in therapy and in his life, if he might not be gay after all.)
As the Twinless trailer indicates midway, it wouldn’t be fair to say much more about its plot development. “Just trust me when I say that it’s extremely clever and full of surprises,” states Christy Lemire, rogerebert.com, “and reinforces that writer, director, and co-star James Sweeney is a bold and refreshing filmmaker to watch.”
Star Dylan O’Brien told The Hollywood Reporter: “…So how this movie is received by real-life twins is the thing we care about most. It’s obviously such a unique experience on this earth, and we just hope that we honored that existence and that relationship. Hopefully, it gets the stamp of approval from the people who are truly living that experience and actually know what that relationship feels like and understand what that loss or no relationship could feel like, potentially.”
Well, one young reviewer, a twin herself, certainly did appreciate Twinless. Among other superlatives she called it “a true symphony of grief, love, loneliness and humor” (Alligator).
Specific twinship themes explored include what it’s like to be one, what it’s like to lose one, and what it’s like to wish to be/have one.
Selected Reviews and Additional Themes of Twinless
Chase Hutchinson, The Wrap: “The initial premise, about two guys that meet in a twin bereavement support group and then start to grow closer, is merely a small fraction of what this film has in store as it upends expectations and runs with them as far as it can.”
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: “The screenplay, smarter (and perhaps more uncomfortable) than most, explores the tricky territory between grief and loneliness, where people are at their most vulnerable.”
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times: “…The drive to be known can turn us all into the protagonists of our own weird, obsessive, funny, painful little tragedies, and there’s no guarantee of a happy ending.”
Jocelyn Noveck, APNews: “What was it Shakespeare said about love, that it looks with the mind, not the eyes? Sweeney’s film argues that grief is also subjective, and that it doesn’t always follow logical paths — or even acceptable ones.”
Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post: “Sweeney’s unpredictable movie twists and writhes, while never losing sight of its layered characters’ heartfelt longing.”
