One of the biggest crowd-pleasers of Sundance Film Festival’s first week is Twinless, which presents an incisive look at grief, loneliness, and codependence through a surprisingly comedic lens. Written and directed by James Sweeney, who also stars in it, the story follows two men who meet in a Twin Bereavement Group and bond over their pain. Dylan O’Brien is especially impressive in the project, portraying the mourning Roman in the present as well as his twin brother Rocky in flashbacks, but it is around Sweeney’s character Dennis that he really comes alive.

O’Brien jumped at the opportunity to not only star in Twinless, but also to make the film his first-ever production credit, which he credits entirely to Sweeney’s screenplay and previous performance in Straight Up. While the two men bond on and offscreen, they intersect with several other characters who either share their grief or complicate their relationship. Those roles are played by a stable of excellent actors, including Lauren Graham as Roman’s mother Lisa, Aisling Franciosi as Dennis’ coworker Marcie, Chris Perfetti as Rocky’s friend George, and Susan Park as Dennis’ bos Sage.

ScreenRant attended the Sundance premiere of Twinless, interviewing the cast about the factually improbable but emotionally true concept of the movie. While O’Brien and Sweeney were effusive about the strange yet touching bond their characters share, Franciosi was a little more reticent about how exactly her character plays into the proceedings. Park, meanwhile, shared her thoughts on how Sweeney juggled writing and directing the movie: “I think that when you write something and you direct it at the same time, you just know every little nuance and subtlety of all of the characters and situations. It’s a very layered thing that’s automatic.“

Twinless Writer-Director James Sweeney’s Praises Dylan O’Brien As Costar & Producer

The filmmaker also revealed one hilarious inspiration for the screenplay.

Sweeney is a triple threat in Twinless, having written and directed the screenplay while also tackling the lead role of Dennis. ScreenRant asked him about the initial inspiration for the premise, and his response was a perfect microcosm of the bittersweet nostalgia and raucous laughter that the film is sure to inspire in audiences.

James Sweeney: I wrote the first draft in 2015, so it’s been a road. I had just broken up with my boyfriend who was an identical twin, so that might have had a little something to do with it.

ScreenRant: This is also a concept that could easily be very slapdash or modlin. How do toe the line between comedy and drama?

James Sweeney: This guy, honestly! [Points to Dylan O’Brien] No, I think finding the tone is something that’s always tricky when you’re traversing different genres. I guess I’ll let the audience decide if we achieved it or not, but hopefully, it feels familiar yet also fresh.

ScreenRant: Dylan seems a pretty easy guy to get along with, but how do you guys build the rapport needed for this film?

James Sweeney: We met in 2020, so he’s been a part of this project for years now. And while I wish the film didn’t take so long, I think it was really formative in our relationship as director-actor; as friends. This was also his first time producing, and I think this process brought us really close. Hopefully, that chemistry shows up on camera.

Dylan O’Brien Teases His Co-Dependent Twinless Character

O’Brien also celebrates the long-awaited release of Ponyboi.

ScreenRant asked O’Brien about the unique concept of Twinless (the details of which should be kept hidden to best experience the film as intended), and the actor shared how much he connected not only with Roman but with Roman’s attachment to Dennis. The two protagonists are polar opposites in many ways, but their bond is immediate – and the performances of each actor elevate the chemistry.

Dylan O’Brien: Yeah, that’s interesting, actually. I think it’s a really unique contrast seeing these two characters form this friendship. They’re very different, and that was one of the first things I was really excited about when I read this.

Not only did I feel such an immediate connectivity to my character, but once I watched James’s first film as well, I saw Dennis [his character] come to life. I was like, “Oh, I can so see us being [onscreen]. I believe in that duo as being a fun one to watch.” I want to watch that, and I can believe myself in it, which isn’t always the case. So, yeah, I love that.

This is O’Brien’s second year at Sundance in a row, and he received excellent news about 2024’s Ponyboi before his latest appearance. Lauded as one of the hidden gems of the festival, Ponyboi nevertheless took a long time to find a proper distribution deal. Now that Fox Entertainment Studios‘ new indie label, Tideline, has finally picked it up, the bittersweet tale of an interSєx Sєx worker on the run from the mob will finally be in theaters on June 27. O’Brien expressed his graтιтude:

Dylan O’Brien: [It feels] amazing. That is another one that is a very dear film to me, and River [Gallo] is very dear to me. To see that moment finally come? We’ve been waiting! We’ve been waiting to find out if it was going to come out, and in what capacity.

The fact that it’s getting a small theatrical release is incredible. That’s obviously pretty few and far between these days. You can’t guarantee that, so that feels so nice. What a special film, and to have the news of that yesterday and then this today? I’m trying to soak it up.

Aisling Franciosi Drops Key Hints About Marcie’s Relationships In Twinless

The actor also touched on her time on The Legend of Vox Machina and Game of Thrones.

As mentioned earlier, Twinless is a movie best witnessed with as little prior knowledge as possible. But Franciosi was gracious enough to offer ScreenRant a few hints about how her character, a receptionist named Marcie, entered into the twisted story.

Aisling Franciosi: I’m not sure how much I can give away, but Marcie is a very, very, very, very, very chipper receptionist who befriends James and Dylan’s characters and then becomes romantically involved. I think she’s kind of underestimated at the beginning, but she’s actually a smarter cookie than you think.

ScreenRant: You are working with an actor who also created the project, James Sweeney. How different was that experience?

Aisling Franciosi: I love working with a writer-director. He was also starring in it too, which is so impressive. But I just love the clarity of vision. He knows exactly what he wants. There’s no time lost in mulling things over too much.

He was really great. I love how prepared he was; how precise. He knew exactly what he wanted, had clear communication, and was also really kind and fun.

Outside of her movie career, Franciosi has also played key roles in a few fan-favorite television series. Most recently, she voiced Scanlon’s daughter Kaylie in The Legend of Vox Machina, which has since been renewed for season 4. While their relationship was repaired by the end of season 3, tensions remain when it comes to where Scanlen’s loyalties lie and who his “true family” is. For that reason, Franciosi revealed her hope to return for another arc.

Aisling Franciosi: I would hope so. I loved doing that. That show, for me, just came out of nowhere for me. I had never really done voice work before, but I love that show. It’s so much fun, and I love working with that team. God, they’re so talented. It’s a real blast.

Though Game of Thrones wrapped up several years earlier, Franciosi was also the final puzzle piece in revealing the idenтιтy of Jon Snow’s mother. She played Lyanna Stark in flashbacks, but the show merely brushed the surface of her character’s rich history. Given HBO’s interest in future spinoffs thanks to the success of House of the Dragon, Franciosi shared that she would “absolutely” want to reprise the role elsewhere.

Aisling Franciosi: Yeah, I would if it came up. It was fun to be a part of something [so big], even if I was a tiny part. It was fun to be a part of something so mᴀssive; really good fun.

Check back soon for more Sundance 2025 interview coverage, including:

• John Lithgow & The Team Behind Jimpa
• Jordan Michael Blake Talks Paradise Man (ii)

Source: Screen Rant Plus