Twinless is a cleverly structured, emotionally complex character study featuring a remarkable dual performance from Dylan O'Brien, who plays Roman and his late twin brother, Rocky. Roman, the surviving twin, is a sweetly dim-witted guy who meets Dennis (James Sweeney) at a grief support group specifically for those who have lost their twins. Roman's a little slow on the uptake—he thinks limes are just unripe lemons and isn't aware of Moscow outside of Idaho—but his warmth and sincerity make him quietly endearing. There's a disarming openness to him, even when he admits to struggling with his brother's queerness—something he clearly hasn't fully worked through. But in a later scene, after Dennis is harassed following a hockey game, Roman's knee-jerk defense suggests that his heart is in the right place even if he doesn't always understand his feelings.

Roughly 20 minutes in, the film shifts perspective in a way that reframes what we've seen and offers a glimpse of Rocky, whose confident, flirtatious charm is played by O'Brien with such distinction that it's easy to forget you're watching the same actor. Rocky is smooth where Roman is awkward, self-assured where Roman is emotionally adrift. That contrast becomes central to the film's more profound exploration of grief—not just the loss of a sibling, but the loss of one's mirror, one's second self.

A key emotional high point—and one of O'Brien's most stunning moments—comes in a hotel room where Roman, grief-stricken and unraveling, speaks to Dennis as if he were Rocky. Through tears, he confesses, "I don't know how to fucking be here without you." It's a gutting admission, not just of loss, but of how incomplete he feels without the person who defined so much of who he was. O'Brien delivers the monologue with a perfect mix of sorrow and humor, cracking a small joke midway through that makes the moment feel even more human.

The film is visually inventive, using some aesthetically pleasing backdrops. One particularly impressive flourish comes when Roman and Dennis attend a party together. The camera morphs into a split screen, tracking their perspectives before re-merging in a mirror shot of Dennis watching Roman from across the room. It's beautifully executed and one of the most striking moments in the film.

I loved Twinless. It's intimate, inventive, and emotionally sharp—occasionally funny, often heartbreaking, and full of moments that catch you off guard. Dylan O'Brien is fantastic in a dual role that's as technically impressive as it is emotionally rich, giving us two brothers who couldn't be more different yet feel utterly real. The film navigates identity, grief, and the awkward, stumbling ways we learn to carry forward with those we've lost.