Courtesy of Roadside Sights
Shedding his “Maze Runner” heartthrob persona for one thing far thornier, Dylan O’Brien sinks his tooth into James Sweeney’s offbeat dramedy “Twinless” with a efficiency that’s as layered as it’s fearless. Gone is the easygoing attraction that when outlined him; right here, he’s uncooked, risky, and fully fascinating. It’s a reminder that O’Brien isn’t only a former YA franchise star however an actor who thrives when the fabric lets him stretch.
The movie itself is a peculiar beast. Sweeney, who writes, directs, and co-stars, loves nothing greater than yanking the floorboards out from underneath his viewers. His story begins as a reasonably simple story of grief earlier than zig-zagging into stranger, funnier, and riskier territory. “Twinless” lives in that rigidity, continually teetering between heartfelt sincerity and close to absurdity. It’s a tightrope stroll, and whereas the steadiness wobbles, it’s additionally what makes the movie really feel alive.
O’Brien takes on twin roles as Rocky and Roman, twin brothers who couldn’t be extra totally different. Rocky is an unapologetic queer free spirit, daring and unfiltered, whereas Roman is restrained, repressed, and altogether peculiar. The distinction is hanging, and O’Brien nails each with a precision that by no means feels gimmicky. When Rocky is instantly killed in a automobile accident, the movie pivots arduous, setting Roman adrift in grief, and into the orbit of Dennis (Sweeney), whose oddball fixation on twins borders on unsettling. His insistence on forging a reference to Roman makes us uneasy, but Sweeney ensures the impulse doesn’t really feel solely hole or exploitative.
“Twinless” is, by design, a distinct segment film with a really particular rhythm. Sweeney leans into his fascination with the concept of absence: what it means to lose not only a beloved one, however the particular person you had been born alongside. The inclusion of “Vanishing Twin” syndrome principle provides an additional wrinkle, giving the movie an virtually mythic underpinning. On the identical time, that hyperfocus can push characters into the background, often turning them into vessels for Sweeney’s thesis relatively than totally respiration folks.
The movie additionally takes some stylistic swings, not all of which join. A pivotal sequence lets the digicam draw extra consideration to itself than to the performances, turning uncooked emotion into one thing a bit too performative. But even in its missteps, there’s an audacity to “Twinless” that instructions respect. Sweeney by no means performs it protected, and O’Brien meets him stride for stride, delivering among the finest work of his profession.
Odd, transferring, often irritating, however by no means boring, “Twinless” is a messy, singular little film that sticks in your head. It’s a narrative about loneliness, connection, and the bizarre methods folks fill their voids. And if nothing else, it proves Dylan O’Brien is prepared for a second act, one which’s much more fascinating than anybody may need predicted. For adventurous viewers, pairing it with this yr’s “Friendship” would make for one hell of a double invoice.
TWINLESS is now taking part in in theaters.