Displaying items by tag: Twinless movie

TWINLESS

US, 2025, 100 minutes, Colour.

Dylan O'Brien, James Sweeney, Aisling Franciosi, Lauren Graham.

Directed by James Sweeney.

We don’t often use the word Twinless in everyday conversation. Here it is used, in the context of twins, identical twins, when one has died and the other survives, trying to deal with life with the twin, life without the twin.

The film opens with the sounds of a car accident. Then a funeral follows, Ronan (Dylan O’Brien) serious-faced, good at the expressions of sympathy for the death of his brother, Rocky, and, in the aftermath, clearing his brother’s room, angry with his mother (Lauren Graham).

Dylan’s performance as Roman is highly effective, not the sharpest tool in the shed as he acknowledges, trying to manage life, full of angers, especially occasion when his brother came out as gay, left home, went to Japan, severed connections with his family. But, at a counselling group for the twin list, he encounters Dennis, claiming to have a deceased twin, Dean, and the two strike up something of an unusual friendship, Ronan, awkward, relying on Dennis as they go for supermarket shopping, then an increased in shared interests, a bonding friendship, Roman relying on Dennis and the audience realising that Dennis is a gay man, attracted to Roman.

Then, after quite some time, the credits come up and there is a flashback which alters very much our perspectives on Dennis and Roman. In fact, Dennis had been in a brief relationship with Rocky we begin to understand his attachment to Roman. (There are some flashbacks with Dylan O’Brien playing at Rocky, creating a quite strikingly different character from Ronan.)

This is a film not only about identity but also about loneliness and friendship. Audiences immediately appreciate Ronan and the connection with Dennis, sharing details of his life, confidences. But, we now know Dennis and his motivations, the complexities of his lying about twin brother, the consequences of the lie even as the bond grows between the two men. Then, there is a complication with the extroverted Marcy (A sling French eos who was so striking in the Australian film, Nightingale), receptionist at Dennis’s workplace, delighted to meet Ronan and he her.

There is humour throughout the film. There is a great deal of sadness. There is great deal of anger on Ronan’s part, and further antagonism with his mother. And, then there will be the truth, Marcy and her intervention, Ronan’s response to Dennis.

There is great deal of sensitivity in this film, something of a credit to James Sweeney, in his early 30s, writing the screenplay, directing the film, playing the part of Dennis.

1. The word twinless? Life with a twin, without it twin? And the therapy groups for twins who have lost the other twin?
2. A story of loneliness, of friendship, of deception?
3. The opening, the sound of the car accident, the moving to the funeral, Roman and his mother, grief, the range of friends coming and embracing, Romans awkwardness? The aftermath, clearing the room, his rage against his mother? Memories of rocky, their time together, the anecdotes, the shared bunks, the accidents…? Rocky leaving, severing connections, Japan? Gay, relationships?
4. Roman, the encounter with Dennis, talking, Roman not so sharp, ordinary, the supermarket, the increasing friendship, sharing?
5. The title after the so long, and the flashbacks, Dennis and his encounter with Rocky, the relationship, Dennis and his dependence, upset with Rocky seeing someone else, driving, on the street, the confrontation, the accident and Rocky’s death?
6. The new perspective on the friendship, Dennis and his stalking, in love with Roman, Roman not realising this, Dennis and sharing the experiences with Roman, ice hockey and trips, conversations? Dennis and his memories of rocky, the impact of the sexual encounter? Love for Roman, yet giving him space?
7. Dennis at work, the conversations with Marcy, at reception? Her party, in Dennis bringing Roman? Watching, wanting them to be together? Marcy, her extrovert personality, the bond with Roman? The increasing love, sexual encounters, together?
8. Roman and Dennis together, the group passing, the fake it in salt, Roman and his violent response? Punching? The issue of violence, going to the gym, his brother’s identity, exercising with Dennis?
9. The Christmas with his mother, the awkwardness, the arguments, Dennis and Marcy awkward, the exchange of gifts?
10. Marcy, breezy, yet noting times and dates, the issue of Genesis claiming to have a brother, a twin, his death? Marcy eventually confronting Dennis?
11. The therapy sessions, Dennis following Roman, his story about his twin, the airport phone calls and crash? The other members of the therapy group, their stories about their twin?
12. Dennis, finding the time to tell the truth, drinking, Roman’s reaction, punching?
13. The later meeting, apologies, coping with the reality, the shared sandwich – to take away? Leaving the audience to speculate about the future?