Rent Twinless on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: James Sweeney
Directed by: James Sweeney
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Lauren Graham, James Sweeney, Aisling Franciosi, Chris Perfetti
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A young man grieving the loss of his twin brother joins a support group for "twinless twins."
Verdict
This explores a sense of belonging, frustration, and unrequited love. It does all that in a surprisingly compact run time. Two men grieving a loss use each other to fill that void. Unfortunately one of them isn't a twin, using that lie to start the friendship. It's easy to predict the lies will catch up, but I can't help but feel sympathetic for both. They're consumed by loneliness, finding a respite in each other. The friendship was never meant to last.
It depends.
Review
We quickly realize that Roman's (Dylan O'Brien) twin brother Rocky died, having happened off screen. Roman finds a support group for twins where one has passed. That's where Roman befriends Dennis (James Sweeney), and they quickly bond as twins having lost a brother. I wondered if that was just due to grief. Roman has always had someone present. With a twin he's never been alone. In this vulnerable state is Dennis just a quick fix to fill that void?
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| James Sweeney, Dylan O'Brien play Dennis, Roman |
Dennis claims to also be twinless, but when a flashback reveals that Dennis knew Rocky, that makes all of Dennis's motives questionable. It seems like he's using Roman to replace Rocky and the short lived relationship they had as a means to get closer to Rocky after the fact. As Roman isn't interested in guys, Dennis settles for a good friend. How long will that suffice? Dennis's interest is built on a romantic aspect.
Roman grieves for his brother, relying on Dennis to fill that role. Dennis is pretending. Either Dennis will become frustrated as this relationship won't be what he desires or Roman will discover the deceit. Dennis introduces Roman to his coworker Marcie (Aisling Franciosi). I assumed that would make Dennis jealous, and it does, revealing the real reason he's friends with Roman. He's trying to recreate his relationship with Rocky. Having known Dennis for much longer, Marcie points out inconsistencies in Dennis's story. He's never mentioned having a twin, much less the loss of one. Dennis scrambles to conceal the truth, but eventually Marcie confronts him, urging Dennis to tell Roman the truth.
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| Aisling Franciosi, Dylan O'Brien, James Sweeney play Marcie, Roman, Dennis |
Dennis does tell Roman, but it's not on his own terms. His lies catch up to him, and we knew it was only a matter of time. Roman reacts violently, upset not only at the deceit but at losing a friend. That's the end of that relationship while Roman and Marcie continue growing closer. Roman meets Dennis one last time to clear the air. Roman asks if they could have been friends if they didn't meet under those circumstances. Dennis isn't sure, but it seems like they could have. Unfortunately, there's no coming back from the lies Dennis used to essentially trick Roman.
Roman and Dennis both used each other to replace Rocky. The difference is that Roman is trying to replace his brother. Dennis is replacing the hope he had for a relationship that in reality was just a one night stand. They seem like they could have been friends if it wasn't for the deception, but that's also why they met. You can't separate one from the other. Then again, Dennis may never have been interested in just a friendship
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