Twinless is a delight from start to finish, and proves that Dylan O’Brien is proving why he deserves to be a movie star. Twinless is a twisty dramedy that focuses on two unlikely best friends united through their shared loss of a twin. As secrets unravel, Twinless‘ ending becomes heartbreaking and reᴀssuring all at the same time.

That delicate balancing act relies on the distinctive direction and compelling script, but it comes to life with a strong cast. At the forefront is Dylan O’Brien, who delivers a career-best performance in the film. Coupled with O’Brien’s other recent work, the former Teen Wolf and Maze Runner star has really come into his own as an actor.

Twinless Doesn’t Work Without Dylan O’Brien

Twinless might be the best showcase of Dylan O’Brien’s talents yet, highlighting just how much potential the actor has. In Twinless, O’Brien plays Roman, a man with anger issues, not a lot of smarts, but a deep wealth of emotional vulnerability. It’s a committed performance that never punches down on Roman, but never lets him off the hook.

It’s a tricky role, easy to make too toothless or even unlikable. However, O’Brien finds the right balance between genuine sweetness and prickly exterior to make Roman a compelling watch. He does the same with Roman’s twin Rocky, a confident and charming gay man who couldn’t be more different from his brother. It’s terrific work.

That isn’t to diminish the work of the rest of the cast, especially James Sweeney. Sweeney also directed and wrote Twinless, throwing himself entirely into the awkward, unsettling, and sympathetic portrayal of Dennis. However, Dennis works best in reaction to a character, whether with a joke, an insult, or a glare.

O’Brien is the one who gives Sweeney the most to work with, along with other stars like Aisling Franciosi and Lauren Graham. There’s a sweetness with the dynamics between Roman and the people around him that never takes away from his flaws and failings.

The film is a real two-hander between Sweeney and O’Brien. Even outside the dominant storyline of the twisty friendship between Roman and Dennis, there’s the tender, funny, and ultimately heartbreaking dynamic that the two find between Dennis and Rocky. They even specifically contrast one another, bringing new layers to one another in retrospect.

Although there are some core similarities between Roman and Rocky, there are also infinite differences. There are the little ways they hold themselves and talk to others, the ways in which their vulnerabilities peek out, either through disarming honesty or tear-filled confessions.

Beyond their voices and their physicalities, it’s clear that O’Brien has found what makes both men tick. While there’s a lot more time spent with Roman than Rocky, both characters feel real and important to one another (and to the audience, for that matter). It’s a genuinely terrific performance from O’Brien.

Dylan O’Brien Is Having A Moment (And Twinless Proves Why)

Dylan O’Brien has been a fixture in film and television for almost fifteen years now, after breaking out with his performance as Stiles Stilinski in the MTV series Teen Wolf. Corresponding with that success, O’Brien took on the lead role in The Maze Runner series.

Following a string of solid performances in alright movies, O’Brien has proven himself a reliable actor. However, the last two years have really underscored his talents, highlighting his greater potential beyond leading roles in genre adventures.

Beyond his two great performances in Twinless, O’Brien has proven himself adept in many other genres. He’s a delightfully dangerous villain in Ponyboi, threatening and enticing at the same time supporting River Gallo’s terrific lead performance. Conversely, he’s heartbreaking and emotionally affecting in Caddo Lake.

In Saturday Night, O’Brien is unrecognizable as Chevy Chase. The legendary comedian is brought to vivid life by O’Brien, who doesn’t just do a good impression of Chase but also underscores her worst, best, and most sympathetic qualities. It’s a tremendous performance in a movie full of them, replicating Chase without feeling like an imitation.

All of these recent performances have highlighted O’Brien’s talents, but none more so than Twinless. There are moments in James Sweeney’s movie where Roman reveals a new element of himself or unpacks a new lingering trauma, becoming a terrifying brawler a scene before he breaks your heart.

There’s a tender authenticity to all those performances, but especially to Roman and Rocky, that makes O’Brien really stand out. For a long time, O’Brien was simply another actor in my view. Not bad at all, solid enough with a good script, but not necessarily a name that I’d get excited to see all on its own.

This last year, and especially Twinless, has changed that. O’Brien delivers two genuinely impressive performances that work on their own but become so much more fascinating in comparison and contrast. The result is one of the year’s best performances, contributing to why Twinless is a must-watch.