‘Twinless’ – Gay/straight bromance is both touching and disturbing

Dylan O’Brien shines as twin brothers, one gay, one straight, in writer/director James Sweeney’s moving if somewhat disturbing tale of two 30ish men who meet at a bereavement support group for people who have lost a twin. They’re an unlikely pair, with Roman (O’Brien) being a not-too-bright straight dude who’s grappling with his brother’s death. Roman’s new gay best friend Dennis (Sweeney) is also claiming to be a bereaved twin, only he’s lying. In flashback scenes the audience sees how Dennis and Roman really came to be part of each other’s lives.
Dennis had a one-night stand with Dennis’ brother Rocky (also O’Brien) and immediately becomes obsessed with him. When Rocky doesn’t return his calls or his texts, Dennis begins stalking him. He follows Rocky and another guy down the street and calls out to him. Rocky steps off the curb to talk to Dennis and is immediately killed by a speeding car. Dennis then transfers his obsession to Roman, following him to the bereavement support group, claiming to have lost a twin himself.

The two become fast friends, going shopping and eating sandwiches together, with Dennis lying through his teeth about his late brother Dean, who never even existed. Dennis goes so far as to create photos of he and Dean “together” with his computer.

Basically a drama with a few chuckles thrown in, “Twinless,” now playing in area theaters, offers some interesting and insightful observations on the nature of loneliness. Roman is lonely for the brother he was never that close to, and Dennis is just a lonely guy.

On the surface the friendship between Roman and Dennis seems touching as these two bereaved guys reach out to each other for comfort and support. But from the beginning the audience knows that Dennis never had a twin, and this makes his actions disturbing. He attends Rocky’s funeral, disguising himself with a wig and a big, floppy hat. He follows Roman to the bereavement group and strikes up a conversation during the group’s coffee hour. It’s very unhealthy behavior, which ruins any feelings of empathy the audience might have had for Dennis.

The acting, however, is strong. O’Brien is a revelation as the two brothers who are so unlike in temperament it’s almost hard to believe they’re being played by the same actor. Rocky is outgoing and confident while Roman is shy and reserved, though he does have a quick temper. In one scene Roman and Dennis are called “faggots” by three guys who pass them in a parking lot. Roman demands an apology and takes on all three guys, beating them singlehandedly. During this scene, Dennis has a line that’s supposed to be humorous, but isn’t.

“I’ll suck anyone’s dick if it will deescalate this,” he says.

There is a third lead character in “Twinless,” Aisling Franciosi as Marcie, a coworker of Dennis’ whom he sets up on a date with Roman. This is Dennis’ downfall, as he once told Marcie that he was an only child. Spoiler alert: she questions Dennis about this when she learns about how the two of them met, and the truth comes out, as it always does. Franciosi is very good in her role, at first seeming to be a bit of an airhead, but ultimately turning out to be a smart and a strong woman.

Ultimately “Twinless” is a mixed bag. Both male leads come across as sympathetic characters who reach out to each other and find comfort in their burgeoning friendship. And while Roman really is a sympathetic character who will win the hearts of viewers, Dennis becomes unlikable because his behavior is so disturbing.

Which raises the question: will gay men enjoy “Twinless,” a film with such an unlikable gay character? Perhaps not.

“Twinless” is now playing at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Ave., AMC Kabuki, 1881 Post St., and Apple Cinemas’ Van Ness, 1000 Van Ness Ave.
https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/twinless