'Twinless': A Disjointed Study of Loss and Companionship

PHOTO: Lionsgate

Loneliness and grief are concepts that have been explored in film many times over, but still manage to connect and evoke deep emotions when done well. At times, Twinless seems to be heading down the right path, capturing the isolation of loss and one’s need for companionship while also touching on the unique relationship that twins share. Unfortunately, it ends up getting lost in itself, becoming a much different take on its themes that left a slightly sour taste in my mouth. Writer/director/star James Sweeney has some interesting ideas that should work in theory, however, only about half of them do while the other half feel out of place or mishandled. It doesn’t help that Sweeney is so much more concerned with what the film is saying than anything else, leading to Twinless sending a message that is painfully obvious and overstated, and much of the rest of it feeling disconnected or borderline amateurish. And yet, it has some bright spots where it seems to find its footing, as well as a great performance from its star, Dylan O’Brien. Despite this, Twinless mostly comes across as a flat examination of male friendship, and is a bit too on its face about everything to feel resonant.

After the sudden loss of his identical twin brother, Roman (Dylan O’Brien) finds himself adrift and alone. Seeking help, he joins a support group for twinless twins and meets a young man named Dennis (James Sweeney). The two become friends, spending lots of time with each other and bonding over their shared grief. In the midst of this unlikely friendship, Dennis becomes more and more obsessed with Roman and desperately clings to him. As they navigate their lives, we see the bond they share being tested, and secrets coming up to the surface.

I was surprised that the film takes a pretty sharp turn very early into the runtime. At first, I felt that the film was showing all of its cards way too early, but it ends up making much more sense with what kind of film it is trying to be. That said, it still feels a bit misjudged, and it might have been wiser to wait a little bit before revealing as much information as it does. This is mainly because this is the film’s one and only trick it has up its sleeve and the rest of the film lacks the punch that this moment has. I get why Sweeney chooses to have such a big reveal so early in the film, and I can’t help but appreciate the boldness, but it does sacrifice some of the power that the film could have had. 

The film feels a bit disjointed, as if it isn’t fully sure what it wants to be. It is at its best when it functions as a character study, as it captures isolation, whether that be due to grief or social awkwardness, really well. It is the moments where it tries to blend genres that it feels a bit discordant, though, as it strikes a weird tone that didn’t sit right with me. It skews more dramatic, but has bursts of comedy that sometimes hits, but mostly comes across clumsily. It never really finds the balance between the two, as the film’s attempts at humor often feel forced and artificial, while the more serious aspects of the film are shown in a more realistic manner. There are a few moments where it finds more of a balance between the two, but it causes the film to mostly come across as off-putting. It does surprisingly pull off a scene of intense action, though, so I can respect the ambition the film has in pulling from various styles and genres. I just wish that it had a higher success rate in mixing them together on the whole. 

There are a few interesting stylistic choices that I actually did like quite a bit, mainly coming from the film’s cinematography and editing. There is a repeated motif where Roman and Dennis are sharing their grief at the support group meetings that uses a shot-reverse shot that puts them dead center in the frame. It makes it look like they are having a conversation between just the two of them as opposed to being in a group. This underlines the desperation to connect that both characters face and gives the film a surprising dose of intimacy. The film also makes good use of a split screen in a couple of moments, namely one where Roman and Dennis attend a Halloween party and split off. It is a nice bit of storytelling that ties into the film’s overall themes, and it is easily one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. It does have a polish to the overall look that doesn’t fully match the style it is going for, but I can’t complain too much since the film looks pretty good throughout. The film definitely has some flair to it and this gives it a big boost where it counts.

It also helps that there is a great performance from Dylan O’Brien at the film’s center. O’Brien is an actor that I generally like, but I wouldn’t say that I’ve ever been overly impressed with him. But I must say that he gives a career best performance here, as he reveals that he is a more capable actor than I realized. As Roman, he has a deep sadness to him that makes you feel for him, but also brings in a hint of anger that feels so truthful to the grieving process. This anger rises in a few sections, but O’Brien never overdoes it. It feels natural and is only used when the film absolutely needs it. I also liked what he does with the brief scenes where he plays Rocky, Roman’s twin. He is much looser and confident in this role, which makes for a great contrast to his work as Roman. It is very much a yin and yang performance, and his portrayal of Rocky greatly informs his portrayal of Roman. O’Brien’s work here suggests that he may have more range than I initially thought, and I hope this will help open the door to him playing more complex characters in the future.

I didn’t realize that the film’s writer/director, James Sweeney, was also one of its stars until the film’s opening credits rolled. Sweeney clearly has an eye for film, but I’m not fully convinced when it comes to his acting abilities. Sweeney has moments where he’s quite good, but there’s also moments where he feels a bit too green for what the role of Dennis asks of him. He clearly has a lot of faith in himself considering that he cast himself in the role, but he falters a handful of times throughout the film. Part of this is due to the film not being able to strike the weird comedic tone it is going for in certain moments, but a lot of it is due to Sweeney’s presence just not being up to snuff with some of his co-stars. His inexperience in front of the camera does help in certain moments of the film, as it feels true to Dennis’s awkward nature, but it also feels like he’s laying things on a bit thick from time to time. I still mostly like Sweeney’s performance, but I can’t help but wonder how the role might have been played if a more experienced actor was cast. 

Twinless has some interesting ideas and great style, but it doesn’t have the depth or cohesion to fully work. It is ambitious, yes, but it only occasionally comes together as the type of film it wants to be, leading to an inconsistency that rubbed me the wrong way. When it’s good, it’s really good, but when it stumbles, it’s a bit rough. At least it gives us a great Dylan O’Brien performance, and I did like James Sweeney’s direction for the most part. It just feels a bit clumsy at times, which takes away a lot of the film’s potential power. Twinless can sometimes be a thoughtful study of grief and wanting to belong, but it is a bit too disconnected and just barely misses the mark.

Rating: 2.5/5