Beauty and the Grief: Why You Need to See "Twinless"

The Audience Award is one of the most coveted prizes at the Sundance Film Festival. Over the years, the dramatic category award has been given to iconic films like Whiplash, CODA, and Sex, lies and Videotape as well as many others. Being the largest film festival in the United States, it's an honor surpassed by few. This past January the award went to its latest recipient, Twinless, directed by James Sweeney. A film so original, subversive and heartfelt, it just might be the best movie of 2025.

At first, Twinless is a black comedy about Roman, a young man in Portland dealing with the unexpected death of his twin brother, Rocky. At a support group for grieving lone twins, he meets Dennis and the two strike up an unlikely bromance. But after a few weeks of knowing each other, dark secrets come out of the woodwork. While there are a few minor characters, the film is largely carried by its two leads, Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney.

Audiences have come to know Dylan O'Brien from his roles in young adult fiction like The Maze Runner movies and Teen Wolf, but Twinless shows a whole new side of him. Considering his stellar performance last year in Saturday Night and his upcoming roles in Jan Komasa, Sian Heder, and Sam Raimi's upcoming films, it's safe to say his career is about to get a well-deserved revival. O'Brien gives easily the best performances of his career as both Roman and Rocky, making them so distinct from each other but clearly cut from the same cloth.

Roman is a deeply flawed character dealing with the worst pain of his life, having to navigate the world when half of him is no longer in it. While Twinless is a comedy, there is a shockingly profound exploration of grief and love. It'll make you want to hug your siblings a little tighter. If there is any justice in this world, Dylan O'Brien will be in the running for some big awards this upcoming season. A post Q&A with director, James Sweeney revealed that O'Brien also served as the film's executive producer and had been attached to the project for years, through thick and thin. This faith in the film is largely what made Twinless see the light of day, let's hope other big name actors take note.

But for as much praise as I'm giving O'Brien, he's not even the most impressive element of the film. In addition to playing Dennis, James Sweeney also served as director, writer, and producer. Working in just one of those roles is impressive enough but Sweeney left his creative mark on virtually every aspect of Twinless. Simply put, it is his film more than anyone else's. As an actor and writer, he's not afraid to make his characters flawed, sympathetic, and at times absolutely sick in the head. Sweeney has a true knack for writing moral ambiguity, something that is all too often sacrificed by studios in favor of more "likable" characters. But it's these nuances that make Twinless so intricate and endlessly entertaining, I truly never knew what to expect as the film went from one scene to the next. The plot twist that occurs about half an hour in made me physically turn to my friend and say "this is the best film of the year."

Perhaps the most impressive part of Twinless is how seamlessly Sweeney is able to balance a seriously dark subject matter with some of the most outrageous comedy we've seen all year. The film is a true emotional rollercoaster, simultaneously causing fits of laughter one moment while tugging on your heartstrings the next. As someone who has been in the funeral receiving line more times than I can count, it felt liberating to watch a comedy about the grieving process.

Twinless not only excels in the creative department, but in the technical one as well. I cannot emphasize how brilliant this film looks, visually. Cinematographer, Greg Cotten and editor, Nikola Boyanov were able to do some truly incredible work and there were several moments where I just thought: "wow." This film's worst shot is a lot of film's best shot. Especially nerdy viewers will be delighted to hear a soundtrack composed by the legendary, Jung Jae-il, known for his collaborations with Bong Joon Ho as well as his work in Netflix's Squid Game.

James Sweeney and company truly outdid themselves with Twinless. It's a film that has something for everyone while trying to appease no one. Examining grief while making your sides hurt from laughing.

2025 has been a banner year for original scripts, with some of the most popular films of the year being Sinners, Weapons, and KPop Demon Hunters, but if you only see one singular 2025 release this year, make it Twinless, you'll be glad you did. Personally, I am already itching to see what Sweeney comes up with next.