Twinless Review
Part psychological thriller, part buddy comedy, part close exploration of grief, Twinless is an offbeat gem, a strong return for Dylan O’Brien and an admirable sophomore feature for James Sweeney.
Support groups are a handy device in storytelling, a shortcut to explain who characters are and let them work out their neuroses and traumas in a public space. It’s one of the few times where tell can be favoured over show. In Twinless, the support group is niche. It’s for people who have lost their twins.
Roman’s (Dylan O’Brien) brother, Rocky, recently died in a tragic car accident. Staying in his flat as he sorts through his things, stuck in the darkness of grief and depression, Roman begins to attend the group as a way to process events. There, he strikes up a friendship with Dennis (James Sweeney), and the two quickly become close.
It’s a heartwarming if somewhat cliche tale of finding a way forwards, and as Dennis shares the story of his twin’s death to the rest of the group, Roman gives him a sad smile. He can’t get Rocky back, but at least someone here understands what he’s going through.
Then things take a turn, the genre shifts, and the dark side of this drama-comedy becomes more apparent. Secrets bubble beneath Roman and Dennis’s relationship, rising ever-closer to the surface as their lives become more entwined.
Somehow, through all the building tension and tragedy, the film remains funny. Background conversations in the support group, as people share stories about their deceased twins, are horrendous and hilarious, and Dennis’ interactions with Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), who he harbours a great dislike for and completely mischaracterises, are cattily backhanded.
O’Brien shines in his dual roles, at first a depressed, grieving brother and then, in flashbacks, a flirty, happy-go-lucky-with-a-troubled-past man-about-town. Both are imbued with a deep sadness, the cause of which is partially explained later on in a competently performed if slightly anticlimactic motel monologue. Yet the breadcrumbs we’re given aren’t quite enough to convey a whole man, more so the outline of one.
It’s the same with all the central characters, who are interesting enough that their lack of depth is at times frustrating. We learn very little about Dennis, who exists almost in a haughty vacuum, and Marcie mostly functions as a narrative cog, albeit a well-acted one.
Some of the most compelling scenes are those between Roman and his mother Lisa (Lauren Graham), whose spiky, contrasting approaches to grief see them needle one another to the point of screaming matches. It’s a painfully realistic, occasionally hard to watch snapshot of a relationship breaking down in the face of devastation.
Mirrors and reflections are used heavily throughout the film, slightly hitting you over the head with the twin theme but in a visually pleasing way. Voyeuristic shots really reinforce the unease of the story and the vulnerability of these characters, while also offering a closer look at the expressions characters choose to hide from one another – Dennis, in particular. It’s an engaging piece to look at, the feature’s execution matching its ambitiously odd premise.
Twinless is a strange film – in a good way – and although it falls short in how some of its characters are fleshed out the overall impact is affecting. A refusal to play by genre rules and a plot that keeps you on your toes make for a gripping watch, and Sweeney’s script meticulously balances the profound and the ridiculous. It’s also the sort of film that it’s best to go into blind; stop looking at reviews, and get to the cinema.
★★★★
In UK Cinemas on 6th February | Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi | Dir. James Sweeney | Park Circus / 15
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