Twinless Blu-ray Review: A Refreshingly Dark Comedy

We’ve all done crazy things for connection, love, and understanding. That is just one of the pieces of the puzzle that is filmmaker James Sweeney’s charming and refreshingly dark comedy Twinless, which is his sophomore feature following his 2019 directorial-debut Straight Up.

Roman (Dylan O’Brien) has just lost his gay twin brother Rocky (also O’Brien) due to an accident which sends Roman spiraling and creates an even bigger rift between himself and his mother, Lisa (Lauren Graham). But a chance at healing comes when he meets Dennis (Sweeney), an awkward gay man at a support group for twinless twins. You see, Dennis has also lost a twin and wants to connect with someone also going through grief. He and Roman find a kinship together and become good friends, but Dennis becomes a little too obsessed with Roman. When Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), the receptionist at Dennis’ company, comes into the mix, long harbored secrets threaten to tear both of them apart.

Yes, the film makes you really uncomfortable with its portrait of obsession, but it also brings the emotion. After all, it is a film about loss and messy people with deep issues. It’s just that Sweeney adds some bracing humor that makes the sadness of the story sit better. He isn’t afraid to go there, including how creepy he plays his character. You sense that something isn’t quite right with Dennis, but he’s just a lost, lonely soul that you can’t help but feel sorry for him, even when he does some really fucked-up things.

O’Brien is excellent as both Rocky and Roman and nails the charm and anger of both characters. They are career-best performances from him. There’s also Franciosi, who becomes the audience as Roman’s new girlfriend because she sees right through Dennis’ facade and does it really well. And there’s Graham in a great against-type role as Rocky and Roman’s mother. Scenes between her and O’Brien give the film an intensely emotional charge that feels real. There is a real queer longing that permeates the entire film that pulls it all together.

Twinless may not be for everyone’s cinematic cup of tea, but I found it to be funny, sexy, honest, and a good change of pace. It’s a solid film just in time for Pride Month.