Twenty-something-year-old James Sweeney penned a first draft in 2015, and it then took a decade to find the money and the cast.  The wait has been worth it!  Twinless is a brilliant dark comedy that balances its many tones with perfection.  The story is ridiculously unhinged (in a good way), but the inspiration was much simpler.  Sweeney has always been fascinated by twins and grew up loving TV shows like Sister Sister and movies like The Parent Trap.

In addition to his responsibilities as director and screenwriter, Sweeney stars as Dennis, a young, socially awkward gay man with a quasi-unhealthy obsession for twins.  He thinks he’s hit the jackpot after a fleeting romantic encounter with Rocky (O’Brien), an identical twin, but Rocky is killed in a tragic car accident soon after.  If you think that’s heavy, wait until you find out what happens next…

Rocky’s straight twin brother, Roman (also O’Brien), arrives in town for the funeral and to help take care of his brother’s affairs.  He’s struggling emotionally and starts attending a self-help group for “twinless twins” where attendees open-up about their loss and seek comfort from those with similar experiences.  Dennis isn’t a twin, but he rocks up at the same meetings, fabricates a twin-filled backstory, and uses it to become mates with the obliviously unaware Roman.

Audiences will be shocked and divided as they size up the protagonists.  The friendship between Dennis and Roman is based on a mountain of lies but, in spending time together, their lives are meaningfully improved.  Can this possibly justify Dennis’s actions, though?  Matters are further complicated when Roman becomes romantically close with Marcie (Franciosi), one of Dennis’s co-workers, and he’s relegated to “third wheel” status.  Roman offers to set Dennis up with a gay friend but this only adds to the messiness.

Twinless offers one of the year’s best scripts.  There are moments of hilarious, insightful wit and there are moments where characters extricate themselves from tricky situations.  If you love black humour and uncomfortable laughs, with a splash of sexuality, this is the film for you.  The performances are also superb.  Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) skilfully blends dopiness and sincerity as Roman (in addition to playing the very different Rocky), while Sweeney brings creepiness and naivety to Dennis.  Irish actress Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) shouldn’t be overlooked with her critical performance as the underrated Marcie.

Winner of the Audience Award for dramatic features at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, Twinless is a wild, riotous journey that ends on the right note.  It’s a movie you won’t easily forget.