James Sweeney talks ‘Twinless’, getting intimate with Dylan O’Brien & our culture’s obsession with twins
Twinless, a wild and sharp dark comedy that’s been taking this year’s Sundance Film Festival by storm.Co-starring internet boyfriend Dylan O’Brien in dual twin roles (as well as Gilmore Girls‘ Lauren Graham & The Nightingale‘s Aisling Franciosi), the film’s logline—”two young men meet in a twin bereavement support group and form an unlikely bromance”—is deceptively simple.We wouldn’t dare spoil the film’s bold narrative turn that takes its story into thornier, more thrilling territory, but suffice it to say, it had the premiere-night audience gasping with glee, locking us into a film that brilliantly explores loneliness, grief, codependency, and, yes, the weird thing a lot of people seem to have with twins.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.If you happened to see Sweeney’s feature debut Straight Up—a “rom-com” about a young gay man who hates sex so much he decides to start a relationship with a woman—you already have a pretty good idea of the unique tonal balance he can pull off, not to mention his incisive outlook on sexuality, identity, and obsession.
But even still, we guarantee Twinless will floor you—and make you even more certain that Sweeney is one of the most exciting voices in filmmaking working today.Amid all the buzz, Queerty caught up with him at Sundance in Park City, Utah to talk about bringing his film to life, and his lifelong fascination with twins that inspired this singular story.
And, of course, we had to ask him about his intimate (in more ways than one) collaboration with O’Brien, and how their bond produced quite possibly the best two performances of the young actor’s career.QUEERTY: Twinless has grown out of this idea that’s been with you for many years.
Can you tell me about its origin story, and how it’s evolved in the time since? JAMES SWEENEY: I wish I could pin the light-bulb moment, but I’m sure learning about Twin Bereavement Support Groups is where.
