Twinless

Description

An Original, Funny, and Deeply Moving Film by and with the Multi-Talented James Sweeney Twinless opens with a funeral in the rain. Emotions run high - even the violinist can barely get through his performance. Many have come to say their final goodbye to the charming Rocky, but for some, it’s a shock to see his identical twin, Roman, there. In the days that follow, Roman keeps encountering people who exclaim, “I thought you were dead,” as the differences between him and his late brother become painfully clear. While Rocky was outgoing, successful, and openly gay, Roman is a quiet loner — now struggling to cope with grief and anger over his brother’s death. His attempt at healing leads him to a support group for people who have lost a twin, where he begins to find connection and solace. There, he meets Dennis, a young man in the group, and a friendship forms — but not everything is as it seems. James Sweeney wrote and directed Twinless, and also stars in the key role of Dennis. He took on the same triple duty in his feature debut Straight Up and in many of his earlier short films. He’s also known as a writer for the TV series With Love. The dual role of Roman/Rocky is played by Dylan O’Brien, best known from The Maze Runner films (and the Teen Wolf series), who here delivers a remarkably nuanced performance as two very different brothers. Twinless is not a tragedy, though grief runs through it; not a comedy, though it’s often hilarious; not a love story, though it’s filled with romance. Instead, it’s a smart, unpredictable, and beautifully shot reflection on the challenges of life and the expectations we place on ourselves. As Dennis says in the film: “The trick is to say something that is emotionally true but factually false.” James Sweeney emerges here as a young, remarkably promising filmmaker, actor, and writer - one to watch closely in the years ahead.