In audacious dark comedy ‘Twinless,’ grief and loneliness lead down disturbing paths

Twins who have both lost their twin, Roman (Dylan O'Brien), left, and Dennis (James Sweeney), bond easily in “Twinless.” Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

“Twinless” — 3 stars

James Sweeney never had a twin, though he wanted one. The filmmaker grew up a military brat, and says he dreamed of a having a twin that would serve as a kind of built-in best friend. Alas, he was twinless.

Of course, not all twins remain or ever become best friends, which is one of the painful truths we encounter in “Twinless,” the audacious film that has resulted from Sweeney’s persistent fascination with twindom.

But Sweeney’s provocative work — in which he stars as well as writes, directs and produces — swings much wider. From the very specific vantage point of twindom, he’s made a dark comedy — with a defi