"The MAX rumbles through the opening shot of James Sweeney's new Portland-set psychological dramedy, Twinless. The train clears to reveal an empty restaurant. It's quiet, but forebodingly quiet- almost peaceful. Soon, the city swells into a bustling yet pointedly isolating backdrop for this black comedy about two grieving young men who bond in a support group for those who have lost a twin. This tranquility won't last."
"Roman's twin, Rocky (also played by O'Brien), died in this accident, but the particulars are unclear. Retracing Rocky's Portland life, Roman essentially takes it over. He starts working Rocky's old job, stays at his place, and is frequently mistaken for him. Walking around as his dead brother doesn't bring him back, though it does lead Roman toward a remarkably fraught support system."
"Sweeney, who wrote and directed the film, joked about putting his characters through the wringer when we spoke at the Seattle International Film Festival this spring, where he won best director. Mercilessly, the up-and-coming filmmaker keeps them on the brink of reconciling their grief, while the yawning emptiness of a central, cascading deception lies in wait. It's all part of how Sweeney, who also stars alongside O'Brien, continually turns the story on"
Twinless follows Roman, a heartbroken young man who assumes his deceased twin Rocky's life in Portland, taking Rocky's job, apartment, and identity while navigating frequent misrecognitions. The film frames the city as both bustling and isolating, using an empty restaurant and off-screen accident sounds to signal an abiding concern with absence. Roman's grief leads him into a fraught support group for people who lost twins, where vulnerability blurs red flags and enables a cascading deception. Dylan O'Brien portrays both brothers. James Sweeney wrote, directed, and appears in the film, which balances dark comedy with incisive examinations of mourning and identity.
Read at Portland Monthly
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