Shadows on the Wall

Twinless

dir-scr James Sweeney
prd David Permut, James Sweeney
with Dylan O'Brien, James Sweeney, Aisling Franciosi, Chris Perfetti, Lauren Graham, Francois Arnaud, Tasha Smith, Susan Park, Cree, Alexa Lopez, Davis King, Katie Findlay
release US 5.Sep.25,
UK Oct.25 lff
25/US 1h40

SUNDANCE FILM FEST

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Smart, twisty dialog fills this offbeat comedy-drama about two young men who help each other deal with shared difficult feelings, while something else gurgles underneath. Actor-filmmaker James Sweeney skilfully creates realistic situations then peppers them with razor-sharp wit, earthy emotions and surreal touches. The film is also packed with visually gorgeous touches that pull us further into a plot that hinges on when that other shoe might drop.

In Portland, after his identical twin dies in an accident, Roman (O'Brien) joins a support groups for twins who have lost their siblings. There he meets Dennis (Sweeney), awkwardly bonding because Dennis is gay like Roman's late brother Rocky, and Roman is straight like Dennis'. They begin to hang out together, making a close connection they badly need. But Dennis has a secret that includes a sparky hook-up with Rocky. And when Roman makes an unexpected connection with Dennis' colleague Marcie (Franciosi), a double date that sets up Dennis with George (Perfetti) shifts the dynamic.

Early on, it's moving to see Roman bear the brunt of the grief Rocky's friends are feeling, while they ignore his own. And what Dennis is dealing with is an even more complex mix of emotions, especially as he works overtime to conceal the truth. So while there's a sweet warmth to the way Roman and Dennis interact, the much darker undercurrents continually threaten to swell up around them. For example, a trip to see Roman's mother (Graham) for Christmas is haunting on several levels.

Both O'Brien and Sweeney have an almost unnerving honesty in the way they play young men who so acutely feel a sense of loss. O'Brien conveys a wonderfully raw emotionality as Roman (in an extended flashback, Rocky is more casually confident). By contrast, Sweeney plays Dennis as a nice guy who is understandably consumed by guilt. He also has an unsettling willingness to bend the truth. And Franciosi's cheerfully likeable Marcie threatens the fiction Dennis has created.

Throughout the film, there are knowing comments on identity and connection that relate to twins while offering wider resonance for the audience. Even more thought-provoking is the way Dennis lies so easily, then has to deal with increasingly messy situations. This eats away at him incrementally. Where this goes is powerfully moving, as Sweeney's script refreshingly plays with the usual movie formula, reminding us that solving a relationship issue always requires doing hard work on ourselves.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 21.Sep.25

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