’Twinless’ Review – Dylan O’Brien Is A Knockout In Hilarious, Moving Black Comedy About Grief [Sundance 2025]

You know you’re in for a ride when the film’s opening credits don’t play for 20 minutes.

And yet, calling Twinless, the latest film by James Sweeney, a ride feels inept. What he manages to accomplish in a little over 90 minutes pushes past a single word, throttling its audience as he rewrites what we think we know about grief, loneliness, love, friendship, and obsession. And somehow, even that description feels inadequate, mainly because it’s best to experience the film knowing as little about the plot as possible. Many films have used “no spoilers” as their primary selling point to the point of cliché. Twinless earns the right to use that.

Here’s what I can reveal about Twinless: Roman (Dylan O’Brien) is mourning the death of his identical twin brother, Rocky. The two were relatively estranged, and Roman is struggling to come to grips with his grief and what he perceives are his responsibilities for their estrangement. He starts attending a remarkably specific identical twin death support group and meets Dennis (James Sweeney) there. Unmoored by Rocky’s loss and seeking some kind of human interaction, Roman and Dennis begin spending more time together, shopping for groceries, working out, and playing video games. The two form a genuinely deep bond, giving Roman what he used to have with Rocky.

As is usually the case, not everything is as it seems, which becomes clear after the opening credits roll at the 20-minute mark. What follows is a barrage of jaw-droppingly uncomfortable, delightfully twisted pitch-black comedy, teased out of every awkward human interaction you can imagine from this film’s premise. James Sweeney — director, screenwriter, and lead actor — has the tricky task of weaving in the absurd and outlandish in the script without forgetting the deep impact of grappling with loss and grief. He handles the challenge very well, earning every gut-twisting, discomfiting laugh while letting lovely, emotional grace notes rise to the surface. He also isn’t afraid to let them exist in the same space. Several scenes are grounded in heavy drama and then quickly shift to an off-color joke that cracks the tension and earns its laugh. 

What’s particularly impressive is how Sweeney’s directorial command never wobbles with its complex handling of tone. Even when it dares to run a half-beat long, the film’s atmosphere is so engrossing that you don’t mind spending as much time with Roman and Dennis as possible. That time allows us to marinate in Sweeney’s astute and hollowing observations about grief and loneliness. Through Roman, we get a heartrending look into the unique challenges of mourning someone so closely connected to you and how discombobulating it is to be without them. Dennis offers broader but equally affecting insight into loneliness and its surprisingly well-aligned interactions with narcissism. Together, they form a singular, comprehensive portrait of isolation at its worst. That thematic foundation makes every narrative beat — the humorous and the dramatic — stunningly profound. 

At the center of that foundation are its excellent pair of lead actors, James Sweeney and Dylan O’Brien. Sweeney has his hands full helming this film, but he still delivers a wonderfully dry and open performance as Dennis. He isn’t afraid of his script highlighting Dennis’s worst qualities, fully embracing his reprehensible moments. However, Sweeney emanates enough vulnerability to keep Dennis empathetic (while the script holds him accountable). Also holding him accountable is Aisling Franciosi’s Marcy, Dennis’s coworker and Roman’s love interest who subverts the ditzy friend stereotype with subtle intelligence and grace and emerges as the film’s conscience.

And then there’s O’Brien. It’s odd to describe Twinless as a breakout performance, given he’s been well-known for well over a decade in film and television, from Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner to, most recently, Saturday Night. However, Sweeney’s script and direction unlock O’Brien’s talent in a way his previous work hinted at. His performance is one of staggering range and intimacy. He fully taps into the quandary of grief’s emotions and fearlessly explores every single one. Throughout the film, O’Brien is teasing and sweet, uneasy and shy, and volatile and heartbroken. He conveys each feeling with a blisteringly raw fragility. Even though it’s still early, he will likely be considered as having given one of 2025’s best performances. 

Whether or not you manage to go in blind, Twinless is a brilliant film that wrings hilarity and profundity from its batshit twists and turns. Even in its narrow specificity and out-there execution, it speaks to our collective, universal need for connection and to be seen for who we are, even when we’re forced to hide our truest selves. Still, Sweeney opens up several pathways into the film so that even those for whom the premise might confound can lock into one of its rhythms. Whatever your entry point, it is an exhilarating experience, well-positioned to be not just one of the breakouts of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival but also one of the best films of 2025.

Twinless had its World Premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Director: James Sweeney

Writer: James Sweeney

Rated: NR

Runtime: 100m