Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Twinless

 

Sydney Film Festival 2025

“He said you were the good twin.”

Surprising, unparalleled and darkly twisted, Twinless thrives from its double premise as it weaves from one initial setup into a another that allows writer-director-actor-producer James Sweeney to flex some serious talent opposite an emotionally powerful Dylan O’Brien in a macabre comedy about grief, obsession and friendship that’s poignantly provocative. 

Discussion Points:

WOW! What a start to my Sydney Film Festival this year. A darkly twisted bromance comedy about two men brought together in a twin loss support group for those grieving the death of a twin that devolves into something far more sinister as lies begin to spiral. No plot spoilers here - but the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes are radically different - and it’s an impressive feat from James Sweeney who pulls quadruple duty as director-writer-actor-producer. Both in front of and behind the camera, it’s clear Sweeney has a vision for this story, and plenty to say about grief and codependency. By examining the psychology of twins and contrasting it with romantic relationships, the ideas of codependency, obsession and truly being seen are all woven together in a macabre, melancholic and frequently funny film - often thanks to the banter between Sweeney’s Dennis and O’Brien’s Roman - who is frequently the heart of the film, despite his simplicities and emotional grief. Aisling Franciosi’s Marcie is also an absolutely bubbly delight and watching her soft kindness begin to ground Roman brings a sense of calm to the background tension of lies and deceit. Overall, I was really entertained by this darkly complex comedy and recommend going in as blind as possible and letting yourself go along for the ride.