First of all, O’Brien’s performance as Roman is fantastic on its own. While the character does have loud, angry outbursts at his mother, which seems to be a staple of their relationship that resonates from his younger years, it’s the more quiet, reflective moments where the actor deserves the most praise. The pain in his eyes is palpable, suffering from the loss of his twin brother but also still holding onto some bitterness from the later, estranged stage of their relationship, where he felt left behind by his more personable and outgoing brother. The gears in his mind are always turning, reflecting on the time he once had with his brother and thinking about how he’s going to live on without him.
But O’Brien’s turn as Rocky makes his portrayal of Roman shine even more. Rocky is gay, affable, and charming, though he can still be a bit of a jerk at times, especially when referring to his brother. He sports a mustache, and O’Brien carries Rocky with just enough swagger and confidence to clearly define him from Roman without overdoing it.Â
Of course, the best part of O’Brien’s performance still lies within Roman, especially when a certain revelation is made that fires up anger, sadness, grief, and a feeling of almost unfathomable betrayal all at once. We won’t spoil it here, but just know that Dylan O’Brien’s performance in this movie is nothing short of superb, and I hope that we keep seeing more of this caliber of work from him.Â
If you want to hear more about “Twinless,” as well as the other movies we saw during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, check out the latest episode of the /Film Daily podcast right here:
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