{"id":650780,"date":"2025-01-24T23:00:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T20:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/twinless-review-dylan-obrien-does-double-duty-in-sly-and-stirring-queer-charmer\/"},"modified":"2025-01-24T23:00:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T20:00:39","slug":"twinless-review-dylan-obrien-does-double-duty-in-sly-and-stirring-queer-charmer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/twinless-review-dylan-obrien-does-double-duty-in-sly-and-stirring-queer-charmer\/","title":{"rendered":"#\u2018Twinless\u2019 Review: Dylan O\u2019Brien Does Double Duty in Sly and Stirring Queer Charmer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3b39dc01f06\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3b39dc01f06\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/twinless-review-dylan-obrien-does-double-duty-in-sly-and-stirring-queer-charmer\/#Twinless\" >Twinless<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAfter his twin brother dies, Roman (Dylan O\u2019Brien), an irascible young man living in Portland, becomes emotionally unmoored. What is life without his other half? So far not great. The funeral for Rocky is an awkward affair. Mourners line up to offer Roman and his mother (Lauren Graham) condolences only to start crying the moment they come face to face with the living twin. He looks so much like his brother, they say, it\u2019s weird and a little uncanny.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tPremiering at Sundance, James Sweeney\u2019s sly dark comedy <em>Twinless<\/em> might inspire similar sentiments. The film boasts an off-kilter tone \u2014 think the absurdity of <em>Problemista<\/em> meets the wry sensibility of <em>The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed<\/em> \u2014 that shocks before it settles. Like Julio Torres and Joanna Arnow, Sweeney walks a tightrope, shifting between dry humor, gutting devastation and emotional poignancy with varying degrees of success. But even when <em>Twinless <\/em>falters, it always steadies itself and succeeds in other ways.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-summary-card\">\n<div class=\" lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-a-125 u-background-color-honey-light \">\n<div class=\"lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column u-width-275@tablet u-border-b-1@mobile-max u-border-r-1@tablet u-border-dotted lrv-u-margin-r-150 lrv-u-padding-r-150 lrv-u-margin-r-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-r-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-b-125@mobile-max lrv-u-margin-b-075@mobile-max\">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  lrv-u-font-family-primary u-font-size-34 u-font-size-38@desktop-xl lrv-u-line-height-small lrv-u-margin-b-125 \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Twinless\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tTwinless\t\t<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-font-family-accent lrv-u-font-weight-bold lrv-u-color-brand-primary lrv-u-font-size-16 lrv-u-display-block\">The Bottom Line<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-span  u-font-size-22@tablet u-font-style-italic lrv-u-font-family-secondary\"><\/p>\n<p>\tA high-wire act of humor and compassion.<br \/>\n\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Venue: <\/strong>Sundance Film Festival (U.S. Dramatic Competition)<br \/><strong>Cast:<\/strong> Dylan O&#8217;Brien, James Sweeney, Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi, Tasha Smith, Chris Perfetti<br \/><strong>Director-screenwriter: <\/strong>James Sweeney<br \/><span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 hour 40 minutes\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSweeney\u2019s gripping screenplay is pocked with withering observations on grief and loneliness, as well as a handful of clever narrative twists. <em>Twinless<\/em>, like Sweeney\u2019s debut <em>Straight Up<\/em>, showcases the director-screenwriter\u2019s skill in translating symptoms of modern malaise. His protagonists are anxious, confession-prone young people in search of connection. Sweeney\u2019s cast \u2014\u00a0there are excellent turns from Aisling Franciosi (<em>The Nightingale, Speak No Evil<\/em>) and <em>Abbott Elementary<\/em>\u2019s Chris Perfetti \u2014\u00a0deploy their witty retorts, bleak sentiments and existential worries at a bracing and confident clip. O\u2019Brien, who starred in last year\u2019s sweaty Sundance crime thriller <em>Ponyboi<\/em>, offers a particularly committed and impressive performance. The actor does double duty playing Roman and his brother Rocky, identical siblings who couldn\u2019t be more different, and assuredly adjusts to each role\u2019s unique demands.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<em>Twinless<\/em> rewards ignorance of its antics, so it\u2019s best to go in with as little information as possible. For the spoiler averse, now is the time to abandon ship.\u00a0After the funeral, Roman joins a support group for now-twinless siblings. The bereaved participants, led by Charlotte (a scene stealing Tasha Smith), gather in a spare multi<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> room to process their loss. Over inedible cookies and tepid beverages, they share memories about their deceased other halves and lament being \u201csingletons.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIt\u2019s here that Roman meets Dennis (Sweeney), a lanky graphic designer and hopeless romantic. The two bond as only grieving people can, relying on each other, at first for small errands and then for emotional support. Roman mourns the ways he will never get to know Rocky, who was gay, extroverted and well-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>led, and recalls how they rarely talked about anything before he died. The living twin, who describes himself as not the most quick-witted or ambitious person, couldn\u2019t always relate to his brother. Their phone calls stayed on the surface; their last conversation was about socks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSweeney stages these early scenes with the intimate awkwardness and humor of a tender buddy comedy. A blunt cut (the precise editing is by Nik Boyanov) shifts the mood. The opening credits roll and the perspective changes from Roman to Dennis. Portland\u2019s somber grayness is alleviated by sharp neons (Sweeney collaborates again with <em>Straight Up<\/em> cinematographer Greg Cotten). It turns out Dennis knew Rocky before he died: We see the two spend a glowing evening together, having sex and exchanging secrets. Dennis admits to an obsession with twins and to nursing a <em>Parent Trap<\/em>-esque fantasy as a child to stave off loneliness. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tO\u2019Brien transforms in this alternate perspective. The <em>Maze Runner<\/em> actor sloughs off Roman\u2019s moody persona, replacing that twin\u2019s abrasive bluntness and struggle with idioms with the other\u2019s quick wit and seductive charm. A smart makeover \u2014\u00a0Rocky has a mustache and style beyond black sweatshirts and jeans (costume design is by Erin Orr) \u2014\u00a0 helps cinch this metamorphosis.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThis and other revelations sour Roman and Dennis\u2019 endearing bond and debunk the spontaneity of the pair\u2019s first encounter. As Sweeney gives us more insight into Dennis\u2019 life, the clever twink becomes a more complex character, and <em>Twinless<\/em> must balance its earnest meditations on grief with the darkness of its heightened stakes. Sweeney\u2019s confident filmmaking eases the bumpier parts of this transition. <em>Twinless <\/em>compels from its opening moments, and rarely lets up: If the meme \u201cNever let them know your next move\u201d was a movie, it would be this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAlthough not himself a twin, Sweeney seems to have deeply considered the special bond between such siblings and deftly combines those observations with his own musings on loneliness. What makes <em>Twinless<\/em> special and surprisingly compassionate is how this director handles grieving characters. He tends to Roman, who demonstrates surprising levels of emotional intimacy, and Dennis, whose compulsions slowly start to read more as sad desperation. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn one of the film\u2019s best scenes, Dennis encourages Roman to process his emotions by talking to him as if he were Rocky. The two sit across from each other, and in a moment of obvious but affecting transference, the usually restrained twin lets out a torrent of emotion. How Sweeney stages that scene (in intimate, almost claustrophobic close-up) and how O\u2019Brien navigates his character\u2019s sadness, as it morphs into rage and reverts to sadness again, are nothing short of deeply moving.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-reviews\/twinless-review-dylan-obrien-1236116890\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After his twin brother dies, Roman (Dylan O\u2019Brien), an irascible young man living in Portland, becomes emotionally unmoored. What is life without his other half? So far not great. The funeral for Rocky is an awkward affair. Mourners line up to offer Roman and his mother (Lauren Graham) condolences only to start crying the moment&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":650781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Twinless-Still_1-H-2025.jpg?w=1296&h=730&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[56374,29332,153851,138577,29333],"class_list":["post-650780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-dylan-obrien","tag-sundance","tag-sundance-2025","tag-sundance-film-festival-reviews","tag-sundance-film-festival"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=650780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=650780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}