Warning: This post contains spoilers for Twinless.
Though Twinless is a movie all about twins, writer-director and star James Sweeney is not a twin himself. But the idea has always fascinated him. “I did ask for a twin for Christmas. I was obsessed with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, their detective books, and various movies and TV shows,” says Sweeney. “I was enthralled with them, and I think twins appealed to me because I hopped around as a military brat, and it was the idealized version of a best friend, somebody who did everything with you.”
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
In Twinless, Roman (Dylan O’Brien) is struggling after the death of his twin brother Rocky (also played by O’Brien). At a support group for bereaved twins, he meets Dennis (James Sweeney). United by the loss of their respective twins, the pair become fast friends, and before long, they start doing everything together. Their friendship is something rarely looked at in cinema; not only are they twins, but Dennis is gay and Roman is straight. Their friendship is beautiful—even if a lie on which it is based has the audience waiting for it all to come crashing down.
A sudden shift in perspective
“I love a perspective shift and a late credits,” Sweeney says, and that’s precisely what happens in Twinless, which is out Sept. 5 after winning the Audience Award and Best Performance Award, for O’Brien, at Sundance in January. We see the first 20 minutes from Roman’s perspective, during which his friendship with Dennis blossoms, before an unexpected shift to Dennis. In an early twist, we see Dennis on a date with Rocky, Roman’s dead twin brother. The two hit it off and head back to Rocky’s place, where they have sex. It’s passionate, exciting, and erotic, but in the heat of the moment, a startling realization creeps over the audience: Dennis knew from the beginning that Roman was Rocky’s twin, and Dennis has been lying about having a twin of his own. Grieving a twin brother is fundamental to their friendship, and Roman has no idea that Dennis has lied to ingratiate himself into his life.
Read more: The 46 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2025
“What was really integral for me in that scene, in terms of understanding who Dennis is, is really believing that that moment [with Rocky], even if it was only 12 hours, was the best 12 hours of Dennis’ life. That connection was real, even if it didn’t mean as much to Rocky as it did to him. I think that’s something that we all can relate to—walking away from experiences with different expectations,” says Sweeney.
The decision to shift perspectives, as well as the placement of the film’s sex scene, had to do with building empathy. “From a creative standpoint, I felt it helped root the audience in Romans’ empathy toward Dennis, because you see him entirely through Romans’ eyes, and by the time we do pull the rug, you’re already invested in this friendship. I think that builds more tension throughout the film,” says Sweeney.
A new complication
Throughout Twinless, as we witness Roman and Dennis’ friendship continuing to blossom, there’s an uncomfortable undercurrent: What will happen when Roman finds out the truth? Their relationship is complicated when someone new enters their lives: Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), a colleague of Dennis’ who starts dating Roman. Marcie grows increasingly suspicious of Dennis and organizes a meeting at the end of the work day to confront him.
Marcie reveals that she knows Dennis can’t have a twin. They’ve worked together for years, and Roman told her that Dennis’ twin died a year and a half ago. She’s investigated further, talking to someone she knows who went to Dennis’ high school, who confirmed that Dennis never had a twin. Marcie tells Dennis he has to tell Roman the truth, or she will. It’s a heartbreaking confrontation, but what’s surprising about it is how empathetic Marcie is toward Dennis. It’s easy to imagine the scene playing out an entirely different way, with Marcie relishing Dennis’ comeuppance. “For me, Marcie is the pinnacle of that empathy. What I love about her performance in that conference room is how empathetic she is, and how she simultaneously is so anxious, because she’s being put in this uncomfortable situation,” Sweeney says. “She holds her ground, and yet she leaves so much room for Dennis—more than I think most of us would.”
The shocking confession
Dennis and Roman go on an overnight trip to see a hockey game, after which they share a hotel room. Roman complains about pain in his feet, and Dennis offers him a foot massage. Both are intoxicated, and Roman agrees, but Dennis gets caught up in the moment and starts sucking on Roman’s toes. This shocks Roman, and Dennis admits that he did it because Roman looks so much like Rocky.
In an emotional monologue, Dennis reveals the truth to Roman. He shares that he doesn’t have a twin, and he only met Roman in the support group because he was secretly following Roman while pining for his dead twin, Rocky. Unbeknownst to Roman, Dennis accidentally caused his brother’s death, calling his name out in the street and consequently distracting him so he didn’t see when a speeding car was heading right for him. The camera cuts between Dennis, who’s sobbing, and Roman, who’s horrified, processing Dennis’ betrayal. Dennis tries to hug Roman, but Roman attacks him, punching him multiple times before leaving the hotel room.
“The direction I remember giving Dylan about his reaction to getting his toes sucked was this discombobulation, and Roman being so willing to forgive Dennis. He’s just a deer in the headlights and does not see this coming, because he’s so invested in this friendship. It’s a gutting betrayal,” Sweeney says.
Roman and Dennis’ friendship is no more, and both of them struggle to move on without each other. Roman especially finds a void in his life, and even though Marcie is a supportive partner, there’s something she can’t provide him. It’s clear that, despite Dennis’ betrayal, Roman misses him greatly. “I think it comes from Roman’s experience as a twin and his deep, deep need for intimacy. He has that with Marcie—but Marcie also shares her love with many people,” says Sweeney. I think Roman has a smaller, more concentrated sense of who he wants to share his life with, and I think that can be a challenge for twins, because it’s hard to compete with a twin relationship if you are that intertwined, and that can have profound implications on platonic and romantic relationships. Roman and Dennis really lean on each other in a way that they both are craving, and they’re getting so much out of it. In the absence of that, I think Roman still feels like there’s something missing.”
Hope for reconciliation
That sense of loneliness leads us to the final scene where they meet at a diner, the same place the movie began. Visually, says Sweeney, “It ties into themes that we establish when we’re exploring perspective through the lens of objectivity versus subjectivity. We’re starting outside the diner, and we see Roman, initially pretty cool, and then trying to protect himself and establish a boundary,” says Sweeney.
Things are uncomfortable at first, but after a few moments, their familiar rapport reappears. “We see Roman start to ease in, and the camera goes inside the diner, and we start to get closer as the sort of natural rhythms of their friendship re-percolate, and we’re reminded so much of why this friendship works,” says Sweeney. Roman apologizes for attacking Dennis. He also asks Dennis, “Who are you?,” still in disbelief that his closest friend could betray him. “You know how people say be yourself?” Dennis responds. “Like, what version of me? I hate most of them. The version of me that was hanging out with you, I wanted to be him all the time.”
Roman is visibly touched by this, and the two continue talking. Throughout the five-minute scene, they get more and more comfortable, and by the time Roman has to leave, it’s almost as if nothing bad ever happened between them. Despite everything they’ve been through, Dennis and Roman have a true friendship; people make mistakes, even terrible ones, but if you want to, it’s possible to work through them.
Dennis shares something Rocky told him about Roman (which we hear early in the film, in the aftermath of the sex scene)—that Roman once dropped a bowling ball on his foot so he could be more like Rocky, who had a broken foot at the time. “He said you were the good twin,” Dennis tells Roman, which moves him greatly. “That was an anecdote I came up with on the day we shot,” says Sweeney. “I think it’s such a gift that Dennis is able to give back to Roman. We didn’t want it to feel like Dennis was being emotionally manipulative to Roman. Trying to make that feel organic and selfless was the feat of the scene for me. I find it really heartbreaking, but also optimistic about what forgiveness entails.”
In the final moment, the server comes to the table and asks if they need anything. In unison, they both look at her and ask, “Can we get a box to go?” No matter what they’ve experienced together, it’s hard to shake this feeling that in this moment, Dennis and Roman are intrinsically linked. Whether they decide to see each other again and rebuild their friendship or part ways for good, they are one another’s spiritual twin.
The film is likely to spark heated debate among viewers, and that’s something Sweeney encourages. “I don’t personally like to share what I think happens after the film. But I think that’s sort of the beauty of art, is to release it, and then it’s no longer yours. I want people to ruminate and discuss with their friends,” he says. “The overall reception has been surprisingly warm and empathetic towards Dennis. I am curious, once it’s commercially released, if that sentiment will hold. Maybe there is hope for America.”