Sundance 2025: Twinless and Train Dreams

Most audiences attending Sundance 2025 virtually this year were likely disappointed when distributors pulled Twinless off the festival’s online platform – after clips from the film were illegally uploaded online – and they have every reason to harbour negative sentiments. The film is an audacious exercise in storytelling, and features Dylan O’Brien at his very best. And in a much quieter manner of storytelling, Train Dreams is equally as compelling, and also features a career best performance from Joel Edgerton.

Twinless

As a film, Twinless swerves effortlessly between comedy, melancholia and intense drama. James Sweeney has crafted such an unflinchingly funny, yet intense, narrative that is such a prime example of arresting storytelling. Dylan O’Brien leads the film with one of the best performances at the festival this year, shining light on his talents as a versatile actor.

After meeting at a twin bereavement group, Rocky (O’Brien) – who is grieving over the recent loss of his brother, Rocky (also played by O’Brien) – and Dennis (Sweeney) form a friendship in light of their presumed tragic backstories. Aisling Franciosi plays Marcie, Dennis’ overly bubbly coworker, while Lauren Graham appears as Roman and Rocky’s mother.

O’Brien is simply exceptional as both Roman and Rocky, finding a commonality between these vastly different characters, which helps seal the story’s sombre thematic undertones. He proves capable of commanding the screen for moments of comedy, tragedy and everything in between. This fluctuating tonality somehow works within the framework created by Sweeney. Twinless has a certainly level of oddity to it, and the film never deviates from this, creating a singular voice that expertly guides the story.

And despite a premise that’s surprisingly dark, Twinless has some of the most tender and heartwarming moments sprinkled throughout its tight narrative. Sweeney obviously has a strong command for complex, mood-shifting storytelling. As a result, the film shines as an observational dark comedy that feels genuine and earnest, wearing its oddness proudly on its sleeves. 

At its core, Twinless is about relationships; good or bad, romantic or platonic, real or fabricated. And within these relationships, there’s often strong emotional shifts and that is exactly the type of world the film inhabits. With O’Brien’s captivating performance, and Sweeney’s commitment to quirky and unconventional realism, Twinless is one gem of a film.

Train Dreams

Clint Bentley’s latest is an exquisite portrait of a lost American experience, anchored by a career best from Joel Edgerton. Train Dreams is both quiet and gentle, yet immensely impactful. This is vast and expansive emotional storytelling at its finest.

Anchored by Edgerton’s commandingly subtle performance as Robert Grainer, the film flows through time in early 20th century America. We see Robert fall in love with Gladys (Felicity Jones), with whom she has a baby daughter with, while traveling back and forth from lumbering missions around across state lines. His work also brings him to the construction of the trans-American railroads, where he meets a number of doomed labourers, who persist in his memories. The film also features memorable performances from William H. Macy, Alfred Hsing and Kerry Condon.

Whether it’s the imagery of endless landscapes, the towering presence (and downfall) of colossal trees or the burning embers of a raging forest fire, Adolpho Veloso’s proficiency behind the camera really shines through. Train Dreams is a beauty to look at, and is supplemented by a stirring score by Bryce Dessner that creates a perfect canvas for Bentley to hone his craft. Bentley is able to capture the haunting baggage left behind by both people and nature, which stands tall as the film’s central theme. Edgerton is also simply terrific, in what may very well be a career best performance. His emotional range doesn’t seem to carry any boundaries, except for those appropriately set by the story’s restrained worldview. Train Dreams doesn’t travel into realms of melodrama, and any expressions of intense emotion by Edgerton flows within a tunnel of controlled ardour.

Train Dreams asks us to reflect on what we leave behind on this Earth, how we go about leaving our mark, and whether any of it matters in the grander scope of life. As Robert endures tragedy, amidst brief glimpses of happiness, audiences follow along as lingering ghosts, much like the ghosts who are subtlety portrayed in the film itself. Bentley tells a story through this remarkably observational lens, creating a shifting landscape that simply drifts through time. It’s a very patient and poetic way of filmmaking, leaving a lasting impression.