James Sweeney is no stranger to navigating tricky waters in the indie film world, but nothing quite prepared him for what came after the leaked sex scene from his new film Twinless made its way onto the internet. “Those pervs better show up and pay money to see it in theaters,” Sweeney joked in a recent interview with Deadline, laughing at the irony of it all. The sex scene, which was not meant to be part of the early buzz around the film, had gone viral after the movie’s world premiere at Sundance, leaving Sweeney with a mix of discomfort and humor in equal measure.
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“You know, I’m trying to keep a good sense of humor about it,” he said, recounting how people would tell him at film festivals, “Oh my God, Twinless, I saw your trailer,” to which Sweeney could only reply, “The trailer is not done. I know what you saw, that wasn’t the trailer.” Still, he added, “I guess I just have to roll with it.”
And roll with it he did. Now, with the film set to hit theaters on Friday, Sweeney is eager for audiences to experience the film in its entirety—and not just that scene. Twinless, a dark comedy that delves into the complexities of grief, stars Sweeney as Dennis, a gay man who meets Roman (played by Dylan O’Brien) in a twin bereavement support group. Though their reasons for attending the group differ, a strange lie leads to a meaningful connection between them.
Sweeney, who is openly gay in real life, has made a name for himself by bringing authentic queer stories to the screen. His 2019 debut Straight Up and now Twinless both reflect his deep connection to exploring queer identity, grief, and human connection. “Grief doesn’t happen in a straight linear line. It weaves and surprises you,” Sweeney said, offering a window into the emotional complexity of his work. As an openly gay filmmaker, Sweeney has made it his mission to tell stories that are both personal and universally resonant—something that continues to shine through in his latest project.
Sweeney explained the core of Twinless as an exploration of loss—specifically the loss of a twin, an experience that offers a “specific and profound grief” while also tapping into a more universal human experience. “Grief doesn’t happen in a straight linear line. It weaves and surprises you,” he said, describing how the film tries to capture the unpredictability of loss. “It’s not just one note, it’s all genres,” he added, offering a glimpse into the film’s tonal shifts from dark comedy to raw emotion.
While Sweeney’s 2019 debut Straight Up was a sharp, witty exploration of relationships and identity, Twinless marks his sophomore effort in a very different genre. But this follow-up wasn’t part of a master plan. It was, in fact, a happy accident. “It was really just meeting my producer David Permut off the heels of our Outfest LA premiere,” Sweeney explained, recalling the pitch for Twinless that emerged organically. “He wanted to know what else I had, and I pitched him the logline for Twinless. He read it immediately and sparked to it.”
Of course, the road from idea to production was anything but smooth. A pandemic, a looming WGA strike, and multiple delays pushed the film’s timeline further than expected, but Sweeney persisted. “We just gotta trust the process,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been a wild journey, but I’m really excited for it to be out in theaters.”
While the process of creating Twinless was full of challenges, Sweeney admits that the toughest part wasn’t even acting or directing—but producing. As a self-described “one-man show,” Sweeney took on multiple roles, not just behind the camera but also in negotiating contracts and overseeing the financial side of things. “The most challenging hat that I wear is actually the fourth less spoken hat: producing,” he said. “It’s not just the title, I’m really a producer on the movie.” With so much at stake, balancing creative vision with the practicalities of film production was a tightrope act.
But with his seasoned team behind him, Sweeney found the balance. “I had a really wonderful team to champion me and hold my hand throughout the process,” he said, nodding to the collaborative nature of filmmaking.
As for Twinless’ central relationship—between Dennis and Roman—the chemistry between the two leads is key. Dylan O’Brien, known for his dramatic chops in The Maze Runner, was a natural fit for the role, bringing a level of versatility to the character that allowed Sweeney to experiment with the tone of the film. “I think he possesses so much versatility, both dramatically and comedically,” Sweeney said of O’Brien. “It gave me the canvas to play and paint with different colors.” The pairing of Sweeney and O’Brien allowed the film to balance comedy with tragedy, creating a dynamic that felt both raw and real.
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And then there’s the matter of Roman’s twin brother, Rocky, whose fleeting appearance in the film holds major emotional weight. Twinless is a film about twins, after all, and Rocky’s character is integral to the story’s emotional arc. “We had conversations from our very first Zoom meeting about how we saw the twins and how they were similar and different,” Sweeney explained. “It was a fine-tuning process to make it succinct.”
But it wasn’t just about the twin dynamic. O’Brien had to explore the nuanced differences between Roman and his brother, even as they both grapple with the ghost of their shared past. “I think Roman is a bit more beta in terms of the platonic friendship with Dennis, whereas Rocky is a bit more alpha,” Sweeney observed, explaining how the two brothers’ personalities contrasted, even in the context of their shared grief.
And that brings us back to the leaked sex scene—one that, while undeniably steamy, is just a small part of a much larger story. After all, Twinless is not about the flash—it’s about the depth of human connection, the complexity of grief, and the messiness of life itself. As Sweeney put it: “I think it’s a great communal experience, which is the reason I go to movies.”
So, for those who’ve already caught a glimpse of the infamous scene online, Sweeney’s message is clear: If you liked what you saw, don’t stop there. There’s so much more waiting for you when Twinless hits theaters this Friday.
And those “pervs” who couldn’t help but click on that leaked scene? You’ve got your marching orders: Show up, pay for the ticket, and experience the full journey.
Because Sweeney isn’t just making a movie about twins. He’s making a movie about life—and all the genres it contains.
Source: Deadline
>universally relevant
I’m pretty sure many readers of Instinct would not consider STRAIGHT UP to be that universal for them or their own personal knowledge/interest. That’s not to say it wasn’t entertaining in parts and, at least, interesting in others.
As far as ‘pay[ing] for the ticket,’ a lot of those TEEN WOLF fangirls won’t be near theaters that are actually playing this movie or it won’t be in theaters long enough in the same way that THE WEDDING BANQUET and A NICE INDIAN BOY weren’t in theaters very long earlier this year – such is the life of indie gay movies in this day and age. At least they are not the kind of crowd to pirate something like this, so when it comes to streaming, they will likely be eyeballs once Republic puts it on Paramount+ (if that is still a thing that is a thing in a year or so).
It’s on my list of movies to try to catch this month, but I’m far more invested in A HISTORY OF SOUND and not really going out of my way to watch this in theaters, in spite of the fact that it’s in plenty of cinemas near me, since I’ve not been able to get anyone else interested in seeing it, ‘steamy scene’ of O’Brien or not. Gay guys don’t seem as interested in him as people seem to think they should be, unless Josh or Paul.
So, was it unsimulated or not?! Enquiring minds want to know dammit!!